NATO intercepted three Russian jets that violated Estonia’s airspace on Friday, the country’s foreign ministry and an alliance spokesperson said.
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission and remained there for a total of 12 minutes, Estonian foreign ministry said.
The ministry said it had summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires over the incident.
Estonia is the latest NATO member country to report airspace violation by Russian jets and drones in recent days.
“Russia has already violated Estonia’s airspace four times this year, which in itself is unacceptable. But today’s incursion, involving three fighter aircraft entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.
“Russia’s increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure,” Tsahkna said.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart described the incident as “yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour and NATO’s ability to respond.”
The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, condemned the incident on Friday as an “extremely dangerous provocation.”
“This marks the third such violation of EU airspace in days and further escalates tensions in the region,” Kallas wrote on X. “The EU stands in full solidarity with Estonia.”
Kallas said she was in close contact with the Estonian government. “Putin is testing the West’s resolve. We must not show weakness,” she added.
Earlier Friday, the European Commission proposed a fresh round of sanctions against Russia, citing, among other things, the violation of EU airspace.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pushed for EU states to approve the sanctions to place additional pressure on Moscow.
“We will respond to every provocation with determination while investing in a stronger Eastern flank. As threats escalate, so too will our pressure,” von der Leyen wrote on X.
The incident on Friday comes after Russian drones violated both Polish and Romanian airspaces earlier this month – prompting NATO allies to pledge to beef up defenses on the alliance’s eastern flank.
Last Wednesday, NATO fighter jets shot down multiple Russian drones that violated Polish airspace during an attack on neighboring Ukraine.
The operation marked the first time that shots were fired by NATO since the start of the war in Ukraine. The military alliance denounced Moscow for “absolutely dangerous” behavior.
On Sunday, Romania’s airspace was breached by a Russian drone, prompting Bucharest to scramble fighter jets.
The two F-16 jets came close to downing the drone but pilots decided not to open fire after assessing the collateral risks.
The Romanian foreign minister summoned the Russian ambassador to the country, Vladimir Lipaev, over the incident, according to Defense Minister Ionut Mosteanu.
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