Pentagon to monitor MiG-31 incursion into Estonia
Photo: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (Getty Images)
Any incursion into NATO airspace is unacceptable, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, adding that he would continue to closely monitor the situation, according to the Pentagon website.
According to the statement, on September 22, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held talks with Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
"Secretary Hegseth affirmed the Department of War stands with all NATO allies and that any incursion into NATO airspace is unacceptable," the Pentagon chief confirmed.
Hegseth praised the rapid response of European allies’ air defense systems, saying it demonstrated NATO’s best qualities, as well as its readiness and focus on fulfilling its core mission. He also assured Pevkur that he was consulting closely with the Supreme Allied Commander Europe on next steps following the MiG-31 incursion and would continue to monitor the situation closely.
Russian fighter incursion into Estonia
On September 19, several Russian MiG-31K fighters violated Estonian airspace, maneuvering for 12 minutes over the Gulf of Finland.
Following the incident, Tallinn invoked NATO consultations under Article 4 of the Alliance treaty.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the Russian aircraft’s actions an "extremely dangerous provocation." NATO leadership accused Moscow of escalation and warned of a firm response.
The Alliance said it would decide whether to shoot down hostile aircraft based on the level of threat they posed.
The Kremlin denied its jets had violated Estonian airspace and blamed Estonia for the incident.
