Tallinn: Estonia has accused Russia of carrying out one of the most serious airspace violations in recent years after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets allegedly entered Estonian territory over the Gulf of Finland. Tallinn said the jets flew inside its airspace for about 12 minutes near Vaindloo Island before returning to international airspace, prompting an immediate diplomatic and military response.
Estonia described the incident as “unprecedentedly brazen” and announced that it had formally requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The session is scheduled for September 22, where Estonia will present its evidence of the incursion. At the same time, Tallinn invoked NATO’s Article 4, calling for urgent consultations among allies over the security threat.
According to Estonian officials, the jets ignored repeated warnings and signals from Italian aircraft scrambled under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission. The Russian planes are believed to have flown from a base near Petrozavodsk in northwestern Russia to the exclave of Kaliningrad. Estonian authorities noted that this is the fourth violation of its airspace by Russian military aircraft so far in 2025.
Russia has rejected the accusations, insisting that its aircraft flew over neutral Baltic waters and did not alter their flight paths. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the jets maintained a distance of at least three kilometers from Estonian territory and conducted their mission in full compliance with international aviation rules.
The incident has drawn swift condemnation from NATO and European Union leaders. U.S. President Donald Trump also criticized Moscow’s actions, stating, “We don’t like it,” while reaffirming that Washington would stand by its commitments to defend the Baltic states and Poland if Russia escalated further. Germany and other NATO allies have begun reviewing their air defense postures in the region as a precaution.
Analysts warn that the episode is part of a growing pattern of Russian provocations designed to test NATO’s readiness and political resolve. The outcome of the UN Security Council meeting and NATO’s North Atlantic Council discussions will be closely watched for signs of whether the alliance intends to increase its military presence in the Baltic region.
The latest tensions highlight the fragility of security in Europe’s northeast and raise concerns that repeated airspace violations could spark a wider confrontation if not contained.