Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets have violated Estonian airspace and been intercepted by NATO, the military alliance has announced.
The Foreign Ministry in Tallinn called the violation “brazen,” saying the planes had entered the Gulf of Finland without permission and remained in the airspace of a NATO member state for 12 minutes. NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said the response was immediate and called the incident “another example of reckless Russian behavior.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the incident an "extremely dangerous provocation," while Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said it was an "unprecedented" violation and that Russia had violated Estonian airspace four times in 2025 alone.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the EU would respond to any provocation "with determination" and would invest more in defending the alliance's eastern flank.
