Russian jets brazenly enter Estonia airspace in latest test for Nato

Alliance calls out 'reckless' act but Moscow says they were flying over neutral waters

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Three Russian military jets violated Nato member Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes on Sept 19 in an “unprecedentedly brazen” incursion, its government said, the latest in a series of recent military actions by Russia that have rattled the alliance.

Russia’s Defence Ministry denied its jets violated Estonian airspace, saying they flew over neutral waters.

With tensions already high because of the war in Ukraine, the incursion came just over a week after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of Sept 9-10. That prompted Nato jets to down some of them and Western officials to say Russia was testing the alliance’s readiness and resolve.

It also occurred three days after Russia and Belarus ended their “Zapad-2025” joint military exercises, which included the rehearsal of the launch of Russian nuclear weapons.

Tallinn said the three MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission and stayed for a total of 12 minutes before they were forced to withdraw, a period during which the high-speed aircraft could have traversed broad swathes of the country.

“Russia has violated Estonian airspace four times already this year, which is unacceptable in itself, but today’s violation, during which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen,” said Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.

Russian jets routinely fly over the Baltic Sea between mainland Russia and its exclave of Kaliningrad.

In a statement issued early on Sept 19, the Russian Defence Ministry said its jets flew over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea in proceeding from northwest Russia to Kaliningrad.