Russia denies its jets violated Estonian airspace on Friday
Russia's defense ministry has denied three of its fighter jets violated Estonian airspace over the Baltic Sea island of Vaindloo on Friday morning.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense Forces said three Russian MiG-31 jets flew in Estonian airspace without permission for 12 minutes. Italian Air Force F-35s based at Ämari were scrambled to intercept and escort the three Russian planes out of Estonian airspace.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) called the incident an "unprecedentedly brazen" incursion.
Russia claims the three jets were flying over neutral Baltic Sea waters, from northwest Russia to its exclave Kaliningrad, Reuters news agency reported.
Russia's defense ministry said the flight "was carried out in strict conformity with international rules governing airspace with no violation of the borders of other states," citing "independent checks" that confirmed this.
According to a statement, the planes did not deviate from a planned flight path and stayed "more than 3 kilometers from the island of Vaindloo."
The BBC reports U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters he was due to be briefed on the incident later on Friday, adding: "I don't love it. I don't like when that happens. Could be big trouble. But I'll let you know later."
In response to the incident, the Riigikogu's National Defense Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee are set to meet for an extraordinary session at the Ministry of Defense on Saturday.
The Estonian government has requested NATO Article 4 consultations, while the North Atlantic Council is set to convene next week, a NATO spokesperson said.
The violation came just over a week after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, some of which were downed by NATO jets.
Estonian defense officials reported that the three Russian MiG-31 ("Foxhound") supersonic interceptor jets violated Estonian airspace near Vaindloo Island for nearly 12 minutes on Friday morning, flying without flight plans, active transponders on recognized frequencies, or radio contact. Italian Air Force F-35s from NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission swiftly intercepted and escorted the jets southward toward Kaliningrad.
According to Estonian authorities, this marked Russia's fourth and most serious airspace violation against Estonia in 2025, with previous breaches lasting no more than four minutes.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Barbara Oja
Source: Reuters, BBC
