NATO consultations sought by Estonia following intrusion of Russian warplanes into their airspace
In a worrying development, Russian MiG-31 fighters were reported to have entered Estonian airspace near Vaindloo Island on Friday. This incident marks the most serious cross-border violation into a NATO member country since the conflict in Ukraine began in February 2022.
The unprovoked incursion has sparked strong condemnation from European governments. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, described the incident as an 'extremely dangerous provocation' that 'further escalates tensions in the region'.
NATO's ability to respond to such incidents was demonstrated as Italian Air Force F-35 fighter jets responded to the intrusion as part of the NATO Baltic air-policing mission. Estonia has also requested NATO Article 4 consultations due to the violation of its airspace.
Estonia, along with its Baltic neighbours Lithuania and Latvia, are seen as being among the most likely targets if Russia were to risk an attack on NATO. Neighbouring Poland, though much larger, also feels vulnerable. All four countries are staunch supporters of Ukraine.
This incident comes just over a week after NATO planes downed Russian drones over Poland, heightening fears that the conflict in Ukraine could spill over into neighbouring countries. This is yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour that has been reported by other alliance countries, with similar incursions and drone crashes on their territory.
The aircraft in question did not have flight plans, their transponders were turned off, and they were not in two-way radio communication with Estonian air traffic services. Russia has not yet commented on the incident. The Estonian Foreign Ministry summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Russian embassy to hand over a protest note, but the name of the Russian ambassador is not explicitly mentioned in the search results.
This is the fourth time this year that Russia has violated Estonian airspace, raising concerns about the ongoing security situation in the region. The developments have increasingly rattled European governments and underscore the importance of NATO's collective defence commitments.
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