Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets penetrated the Estonian airspace on Friday morning in what officials in Tallinn described as the most flagrant violation of the Baltic state’s borders since Moscow launched its full-scale war on Ukraine.
The aircraft entered near Vaindloo Island over the Gulf of Finland shortly after 9 AM on 19 September, flying without flight plans, transponders or radio contact. They remained in the Estonian airspace for almost twelve minutes before being repelled by the Italian Air Force F-35s, deployed at the Ämari airbase under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission.
Estonia’s foreign ministry summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires in Tallinn within hours, handing over a note of protest. It was the fourth such breach by Russian aircraft this year, but officials said the latest episode, involving three supersonic interceptors capable of carrying the Kremlin’s Kinzhal hypersonic missile, was on another scale.
“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,” Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s foreign minister, said. “Russia’s increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure.”
NATO stressed it ability to respond
NATO confirmed the incident and stressed its ability to respond. “Earlier today, Russian jets violated Estonian airspace. NATO responded immediately and intercepted the Russian aircraft,” Allison Hart, a spokesperson for the alliance, said. “This is yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour.”
At a hastily convened security cabinet meeting, Estonia’s government agreed to trigger Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, a mechanism used when a member state considers its security under threat.
In an interview with Estonian public broadcasting, Prime Minister Kristen Michal said there are clear parameters for shooting down Russian fighter jets violating Estonia’s border, adding that the country has the means to use force if necessary.
The incursion is part of a pattern of aerial provocations on NATO’s eastern flank. Poland reported earlier this month that more than a dozen Russian drones crossed its border overnight, with several aimed at Rzeszów, the logistical hub for western weapons bound for Ukraine. Warsaw, which shot down several drones, invoked NATO’s Article 4 to trigger consultations with allies, calling the breach a deliberate provocation.
Romania has faced similar harassment. A Russian drone was tracked for nearly 50 minutes in its skies in mid-September, while fragments from missile strikes on Ukraine have repeatedly landed on its territory.
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said Moscow’s latest actions showed why Europe had no choice but to tighten the screws further. “Again and again, president Putin has escalated, and in response, Europe is increasing its pressure,” she said. “Our sanctions are an effective tool of economic pressure, and we will keep using them until Russia comes to the negotiating table.”
For Estonia, NATO’s smallest frontline state bordering Russia, Friday’s encounter was a pointed reminder of its precarious geography – and of Moscow’s readiness to probe it.
Russia has violated Estonia’s airspace four times in 2025
Estonia has reported a series of Russian incursions into its territory this year, including a naval breach – the first of its kind, according to the Estonian Defence Forces.
On 13 May, a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter crossed into Estonian airspace above the Juminda Peninsula in the Gulf of Finland, remaining for less than a minute. The jet was covering a Russian “shadow fleet” vessel being escorted by the Estonian Navy.
On 22 June, an Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft entered near Vaindloo Island and stayed for around four minutes.
On 26 July, a Russian Svetlyak-class border guard ship, Sochi 500, sailed inside Estonian waters for some 35 minutes. The Defence Forces said it was the first confirmed violation of the country’s maritime border by a Russian state vessel.
On 7 September, a Russian MI-8 helicopter entered Estonian airspace without clearance, remaining for roughly four minutes.
On 19 September, three MiG-31 fighter jets crossed near Vaindloo Island and stayed for almost 12 minutes – the most serious incident of the year.
