On Friday, three Russian fighter jets intruded into Estonia’s airspace for an exceptionally long 12 minutes. This bold move, labeled an ‘unprecedentedly brazen’ violation by Estonia’s foreign minister, has ignited fresh concerns across the NATO alliance.
NATO swiftly mobilized to intercept the Russian aircraft. Allison Hart, the alliance’s spokesperson, stated that this incident serves as ‘yet another example of reckless Russian behavior and NATO’s ability to respond,’ underscoring the alliance’s readiness.
This latest event follows closely on the heels of a previous incident where at least 21 Russian drones penetrated Polish airspace just ten days prior. NATO fighter jets were dispatched to intercept some of these. Polish officials, citing an updated drone count, interpreted that incursion as a deliberate challenge to the alliance’s preparedness and a serious escalation in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
While NATO routinely conducts air policing missions over Estonia and its fellow Baltic states, and Russian intrusions into Estonian airspace are not uncommon, they are typically brief. However, Friday’s incident involving three MIG-31 fighters was distinct due to its extended duration, as highlighted by Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.
Mr. Tsahkna’s statement emphasized the severity: ‘Russia has violated Estonian airspace four times already this year, which is unacceptable in itself, but today’s violation, during which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen.’ He further characterized it as ‘clear proof of Russia’s growing aggression,’ reiterating his remarks on social media.
Tsahkna urged NATO members to exert greater pressure on Moscow, asserting, ‘Russia’s ever-increasing testing of borders and aggressiveness must be responded to by rapidly strengthening political and economic pressure.’ In response, Estonia formally summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires to lodge a strong protest against these provocative flights.
Later on Friday, Estonia’s Prime Minister, Kristen Michal, announced via social media his intention to pursue urgent discussions with NATO allies.
Prime Minister Michal confirmed that ‘The Government of Estonia has decided to request NATO Article 4 consultations,’ activating the alliance’s provision for member states to initiate formal discussions regarding threats to their security.
Coincidentally, this Russian intrusion occurred on the very day an international consortium of business leaders convened in Narva, Estonia—a city bordering Russia—for the inauguration of a significant new facility dedicated to producing rare earth magnets. These critical components are indispensable across numerous industries, and their reliable supply is increasingly recognized as a matter of national security in Western countries.
Following last week’s drone incursion over Poland, Russia initially denied any deliberate violation of Polish airspace, claiming the drones were targeting Ukraine. However, Polish authorities remained convinced of Russia’s intentionality, noting that all 21 drones were launched from a distinct location, separate from other Russian drones directed towards Ukraine.
In light of the Polish incident, NATO had previously announced a new air patrol initiative, ‘Eastern Sentry,’ last Friday. This operation is inspired by ‘Baltic Sentry,’ which was established in January and includes ship patrols, surveillance jets, and drones over the Baltic Sea in response to acts of sabotage.
NATO officials confirmed that ‘Eastern Sentry’ would integrate enhanced air patrols, ground-based interceptor systems, advanced sensors, and intensified surveillance. While initially concentrated on Poland, the operation maintains flexibility to deploy across other parts of the region as needed.
Last Friday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cautioned that ‘Russia’s recklessness in the air along our eastern flank is increasing in frequency.’ He highlighted recent adversarial drone violations over Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania.
Historically, Russian aircraft have intruded into Estonian airspace up to 40 times since the 2014 annexation of Crimea. However, this frequency had significantly decreased following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, making the current surge in activity particularly noteworthy.
Separately on Friday, the European Union put forth a proposal to accelerate a ban on Russian gas imports by a year. This move is part of a broader new sanctions package designed to cripple Moscow’s war financing capabilities in Ukraine. The proposed measures also target companies, banks, and traders in third-party nations like China and India, suspected of assisting Russia in evading existing sanctions.
Approval from all 27 member states is required, which could face challenges, particularly given Hungary’s dependence on Russian gas. Although Europe has significantly curtailed its pipeline gas imports from Russia, the ultimate goal is to eliminate Russian liquefied natural gas purchases by January 2027. This context follows recent criticism from President Trump regarding European countries’ continued energy purchases from Russia.