Russian military aircrafts intrude Estonian airspace amidst NATO's deployment of fighter jets in response
In a significant escalation of tensions, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonia's airspace over the Gulf of Finland on Friday. This marks the first time Russian military hardware has breached the airspace of a NATO member since the onset of the Russia news in 2022, as seen in Poland on September 10.
The Russian jets, capable of carrying hypersonic missiles, circled in Estonian airspace for around 12 minutes before departing. This is the fourth time Russia has violated Estonia's airspace in a year, according to the Estonian government.
The Estonian foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, stated that the airspace violation was "unprecedentedly brazen" and considered a clear proof of Russia's growing aggression. In response, the Estonian foreign minister summoned Russia's charge d'affaires over the incident.
NATO scrambled Italian F-35s to repel the Russian jets, marking a swift response from the alliance. Estonia is the third NATO member to have their airspace entered by Russian aircraft in the past 10 days, following Poland and Romania, who tracked a drone until it left NATO airspace without causing any damage or casualties on September 14.
Romania's foreign minister, Toiu Oana, condemned Russia's behavior and took necessary measures to protect sovereignty and security. The Estonian foreign minister also called for rapidly strengthening political and economic pressure in response to Russia's border testing and aggressiveness.
The incident marks an escalation of hostilities between Estonia and Russia. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that Russia brought Poland "the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two" after the incursion on September 10.
Despite the escalating tensions, there has been no official statement from the Russian government regarding the airspace violation. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely and stands in solidarity with NATO members in the face of Russia's aggression.
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