On Friday, dozens of foreign leaders will attend a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Moscow. European and NATO leaders are mostly boycotting the event as relations with Russia have plummeted since it launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday afternoon said Estonian airspace cannot be used for travelling to and from Moscow for the Victory Day parade.

"The use of Estonian airspace to go to Moscow for the May 9 parade is out of the question and Estonia does not intend to support the event in any way," Tsahkna said in a statement.

"Moreover, we have stressed to our European Union colleagues that as Russia is a country that launched and continues a war in Europe, participation in propaganda events organised by them should be ruled out."

Estonia has already banned flights to or from Moscow for Cuban and Brazilian VIP flights, and permissions for VIP flights to Moscow for the May 9 celebrations will be withheld (or, if necessary, suspended), the ministry said.

On Wednesday, Latvian-based outlet Meduza, citing Serbian news outlets Večernje novosti and Kurir, wrote that both Lithuania and Latvia had denied permission for President Aleksandar Vučić's plane to travel through their airspace on the way to Russia.

Latvian authorities denied the overflight, citing "the political sensitivity of the flight's purpose," the outlets said. Lithuanian officials reportedly cited "technical and diplomatic sensitivity" in their refusal.

Both countries confirmed they had blocked Vučić's flight on Wednesday afternoon after initially refusing to comment publicly on the issue, public broadcasters LRT and LSM reported. They will also not grant access to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Brita Kikas told ERR on Wednesday morning that Serbia did not seek permission to use Estonian airspace, but Estonia's position aligns with Latvia's and Lithuania's.

Kikas said Slovakia could use Estonia's airspace without requesting to, as it grants overflight permission annually to NATO and EU members. She added that the Civil Aviation Authority has been notified of Fico's flight.

Later, permission was withdrawn.

Slovakian PM: Deliberate obstruction

Prime Minister Robert Fico condemned the move as a deliberate attempt to obstruct his visit, the Slovak Spectator wrote.

Fico pointed out that Slovakia holds a year-round permit to use Estonian airspace for government flights and expressed frustration at the sudden denial.

"Of course, this is a deliberate attempt to thwart my visit to Moscow on the occasion of the official celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War," he wrote on social media on Wednesday.

"It's extremely disruptive to our whole programme. We are no longer able to meet the scheduled times in Moscow on the evening of 8 May," he said, adding that they are doing their best to find an alternative route that would ensure they would be able to attend.

This story was updated to add additional information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then for a second time to add comments from Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna. It was updated for a third time to add comments from Prime Minister Robert Fico.

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