Kremlin denies Russian jets crossed border, blames Estonia instead
Photo: Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov (Getty Images)
The Kremlin has cynically dismissed Estonia’s accusations that Russian fighter jets violated its airspace, shifting the blame back onto Tallinn, Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reports.
According to Peskov, Russian military aircraft operate “strictly within international rules” and allegedly committed no violations.
“We have repeatedly provided data confirming Russia’s position. At the same time, the Estonian side has never presented any evidence to support its accusations,” the Presidential Spokesperson claimed.
Peskov went on to accuse Estonia and other Baltic states of “systematically escalating tensions and creating a confrontational atmosphere.”
According to the Russian Presidential Spokesperson, such policies are “not new, but now they further increase risks.”
Russian jets in Estonian skies
On the morning of September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonia’s airspace without authorization.
The incident occurred over the Gulf of Finland, where the jets remained for 12 minutes.
In response, Estonia requested NATO consultations under Article 4.
Moscow denied the violation, insisting that the jets were flying over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea in accordance with their designated route and did not enter the airspace of other states.
Meanwhile, Estonia’s Ministry of Defense published a flight map showing the three Russian aircraft inside its airspace for nearly 12 minutes.
On September 23, NATO ambassadors will meet to discuss the violation of Estonia’s airspace by Russian aircraft.
