NATO fighter jets intercepted three Russian MiG-31 warplanes on Friday after they violated Estonia’s airspace over the Gulf of Finland, the alliance confirmed.
Estonia’s foreign ministry condemned the breach as “brazen,” saying the aircraft entered without permission and remained inside Estonian territory for 12 minutes.
“This is yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour—and NATO’s ability to respond swiftly,” NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said, adding that the incursion was handled immediately.
Following the incident, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced that his government has formally requested NATO Article 4 consultations. Article 4 of the alliance’s founding treaty calls for urgent discussions among its 32 member states whenever a member believes its security or territorial integrity is under threat.
The Russian military has yet to issue a public statement on the violation.
Tensions between Moscow and NATO have been steadily escalating since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Concerns grew further this past week after Poland and Romania—both NATO members—reported that Russian drones had crossed into their airspace.
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