Three Russian MiG-31 jets violate Estonia’s airspace
Illustrative photo: Russian MiG-31 jets violated Estonia’s airspace (Getty Images)
Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonia’s airspace on Friday, September 19. They remained there for 12 minutes, according to Politico and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sources from Politico reported that three Russian MiG-31 jets, which can carry hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, were heading toward Tallinn. Italian F-35s were scrambled to intercept them.
Reaction from the Foreign Ministry
The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Russian MiG-31 jets were in Estonian airspace for about 12 minutes. According to the ministry, the violation occurred over the Gulf of Finland.
Against this backdrop, the ministry summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires in Estonia to deliver a formal protest note.
"This year, Russia has violated Estonia’s airspace four times, which is unacceptable in itself, but today’s violation, when three fighter jets intruded into our airspace, is unprecedentedly aggressive," said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.
He added that the increasingly frequent border violations and Russia’s aggressiveness must be met with a rapid strengthening of political and economic pressure.
Russian Mi-8 in Estonian airspace
On September 8, the Estonian Defence Forces reported that a Russian Mi-8 helicopter had violated Estonia’s airspace.
The incident occurred near the island of Väinö, and the helicopter remained in Estonian airspace for approximately four minutes.
The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires in Estonia and delivered a formal protest note.
