NATO airspace violated by Russian fighter jet as alliance launches emergency response
A Russian fighter jet breached NATO airspace on Wednesday, triggering an urgent response.
Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna revealed a Russian SU-30 fighter aircraft violated Estonian airspace for approximately a minute. The incident occurred near Vaindloo Island in the Gulf of Finland, off Estonia’s northern coastline, Tsahkna confirmed.
An angry formal complaint regarding the airspace violation has been delivered to Russia’s senior diplomat in Tallinn, with the acting chief called in to explain the incident. NATO’s Baltic Air Policing reacted by dispatching Italian Air Force units, Tsahkna stated, reports the Mirror.
(Image: Getty Images/Stocktrek Images)
He added that the Italian Air Force, based at the Ämari Air Base, sent out a military plane to monitor the jet. “There was no direct threat to Estonian security,” Tsahkna said.
Estonia’s foreign ministry said it was the first airspace breach by a Russian warplane this year. Last September, three Russian military jets entered Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes. The MIG-31 jets violated entered the nation’s airspace without permission and are said to have flown over the Vaindloo Island area.
The jets did not have two-way radio communication with local air traffic controllers and their transponders turned off. Officials in Estonia blasted Putin’s government for the violation and marked the incursion “unprecedentedly brutal”.
NATO confirmed the organisation intercepted the aircraft, saying at the time: “Russian jets violated Estonian airspace. Nato responded immediately and intercepted the Russian aircraft. This is yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour and Nato’s ability to respond.”
After last year’s incident, Tsahkna said: “Russia has violated Estonian airspace four times already this year, which in itself is unacceptable, but today’s violation, during which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is unprecedentedly brutal.
“Russia’s increasing border testing and aggression must be met with rapid reinforcement of political and economic pressure.”
