”Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace earlier today. NATO responded (to the violation) immediately and prevented the Russian aircraft”, writes NATO's spokesperson Allison Hart on X.
The Russian fighter jets of the modern type Mig-31 are, among other things, deployed at a military base in the Kaliningrad region, and can be equipped with hypersonic missiles.
”This is yet another example of reckless Russian behavior – and showed NATO's ability to respond (to the violation)”, notes Hart.
Estonia wants NATO member countries to be summoned in accordance with the military alliance's Article 4, which states that the defense alliance's members must consult urgently when a member country feels threatened.
”Full solidarity”
EU's Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas, who has previously been Estonia's Prime Minister, also warns that the Russian air violation was an ”extremely dangerous provocation”.
”The EU stands united in full solidarity with Estonia”, says Kallas, who is also the EU Commission's Vice President. She notes that the incident means an escalation of already high tension in the region.
Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhna says that Russia has already violated Estonian airspace four times this year.
Today's intrusion, where three fighter jets entered our airspace, is an extraordinary provocation, says Tsakhna.
After the Russian fighter jets flew into Estonia's airspace without permission, the Russian chargé d'affaires was summoned on Friday and handed a formal protest, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Estonia.
Kristersson: very remarkable
The Russian intrusion comes after it was reported that over 20 Russian drones violated Poland's airspace earlier in September and were shot down by NATO planes.
Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson calls the violation of Estonia's airspace ”very remarkable”:
”This incident, like other recent Russian violations of NATO countries' airspace, illustrates once again the seriousness of the Russian threat to European security and that our and NATO's preparedness is constantly being tested", writes Kristersson in a statement and says that the Swedish Air Force is ready to act in similar events:
"Sweden stands as a NATO member in solidarity with our allies and contributes to the security in our immediate area.”
