TALLINN, Estonia (Chatnewstv.com) — Estonia said Friday it will request NATO Article 4 consultations after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace, the latest in a series of incidents testing the alliance’s eastern flank.
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the decision followed an incursion Friday morning over the Gulf of Finland, where Russian aircraft spent 12 minutes inside Estonian territory before being forced out by NATO fighters.
“Such a violation is completely unacceptable, and NATO’s response to any provocation must be united and strong,” Michal said.
“We consider it essential to consult with our Allies to ensure shared situational awareness and to agree on our next joint steps. The entire Alliance is treating this incident seriously.”
The aircraft entered Estonian airspace from the northeast and were initially intercepted by Finnish jets. Italian Air Force F-35s deployed at Ämari under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission then escorted them out. Officials said the Russian planes carried no flight plans, had their transponders switched off and failed to maintain two-way radio contact with Estonian air traffic control.
Michal said the Kremlin’s actions reflect the difficulties Russia faces in Ukraine.
“The aim is to draw attention and assistance away from Ukraine by forcing NATO countries to focus more on the defense of their own territories,” he said.
Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Estonia would not confront such provocations alone.
“We must ensure together with our Allies that Moscow understands we will neither ignore such actions nor confront them alone,” Tsahkna said.
“This incident once again demonstrated that Allied air policing works and NATO fighters responded quickly. However, due to Russia’s increasingly frequent provocations, we consider it necessary to request NATO Article 4 consultations.”
Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur called the violation “absolutely unacceptable.”
“Russia continues its war in Ukraine and is acting with increasing aggressiveness toward Estonia and NATO’s entire eastern flank, as recent events in Poland and Romania also illustrate,” he said.
“NATO’s defense mechanisms worked. The Alliance responded decisively, with Italian fighters scrambling immediately and forcing the intruders out of Estonian airspace.”
Estonia’s Foreign Ministry said it has summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Tallinn to deliver a protest note.
The incident comes amid rising Russian provocations against NATO states. Last week, Polish and NATO fighters shot down Russian drones that entered Polish territory, the first such incursion since the start of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. Romanian and Latvian authorities also reported drone violations in recent days.
