Moscow firm on its stance: “Our aircraft adhered to international flight paths and respected Estonian borders.”
In a direct rebuttal to recent accusations, Russia’s Defence Ministry declared that its fighter jets maintained strict adherence to international protocols during their recent flight over the Baltic Sea. The Ministry confirmed on Saturday, September 20, 2025, that these aircraft traversed neutral waters while en route from northwest Russia to Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave.
This statement comes after NATO member Estonia reported an “unprecedentedly brazen” twelve-minute incursion by three Russian military jets into its airspace. This alleged incident follows closely on the heels of another concerning event where over 20 Russian drones reportedly entered Polish airspace, with some subsequently being intercepted by NATO forces.
According to the Russian Defence Ministry’s official statement on Telegram, “The flight was executed in precise conformity with international regulations governing airspace, with no infringements on the sovereign borders of other nations, a fact corroborated by independent verification.”
They further elaborated that “Throughout the mission, the Russian aircraft remained on their designated flight path and did not violate Estonian airspace.”
The Ministry specified that the path of the three MiG-31 fighters, originating from Russia’s Karelia region, “involved flying over the neutral expanse of the Baltic Sea, maintaining a distance exceeding 3 kilometers from Vaindloo island, situated off the Estonian coast.”