3 Russian fighter jets violate Estonian airspace for 12 minutes
On Friday (September 19) morning, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission and remained there for nearly 12 minutes. The government will now consult with its NATO allies under Article 4.
The aircraft breached Estonia's airspace above Vaindloo Island in the Gulf of Finland.
The jets had no flight plans and their transponders were switched off. At the time of the violation, they also lacked two-way radio communication with Estonian air traffic control.
The incident was responded to by Italian Air Force F-35 fighter jets currently stationed at Ämari Air Base in northern Estonia as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission.
Taavi Karotamm, head of the Defense Forces press office, told ERR the aircraft were flying parallel to the Estonian border from east to west and entered Estonian airspace to a depth of less than 10 kilometers.
"The aircraft were initially accompanied by Finnish Air Force fighters, which were met by Italian Air Force F-35s that escorted the violators out of Estonian airspace. The Italian fighters accompanied the Russian jets to the Kaliningrad region," Karotamm said.
"This situation shows that Russia continues to behave aggressively toward its neighboring countries, and its neighbors must take the strengthening of their defense capabilities seriously. At the same time, the situation once again confirms the effectiveness of NATO as a defense alliance, as the Baltic Air Policing mission fighters responded swiftly," he added.
Here is a map regarding Estonian airspace violation by .
— MoD Estonia (@MoD_Estonia) September 20, 2025
The violation took place over the Gulf of Finland.
The 3x MiG-31 flew parallel to the state border from east to west and entered airspace to a depth of less than 10 km.
NATO fighters escorted them out. pic.twitter.com/Df7pdPltbt
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Russian Federation in Estonia to lodge a protest and deliver a diplomatic note regarding the airspace violation.
"Russia has already violated Estonia's airspace four times this year, which is unacceptable in itself. But today's incursion, involving three fighter jets entering our airspace, is unprecedentedly brutal," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200).
"Russia's growing attempts to test borders and its increasing aggression must be met with a swift intensification of political and economic pressure," he added.
Russian jets have violated Estonian airspace semi-regularly since 2014, usually above Vaindloo. In the past, incursions have lasted for less than a minute, while the two previous violations this year were around four minutes.
This is the latest NATO airspace violation, which comes after Russian drones entered Polish and Romanian airspace earlier in September.
Estonia to hold consultations with NATO allies
Estonia's government decided to hold discussions among NATO allies – known as Article 4 of the alliance's treaty – after Friday's incident.
Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) called the violations "unacceptable."
"NATO's response to any provocation must be united and strong. We consider it essential to consult with our Allies to ensure shared situational awareness and to agree on our next joint steps. The entire Alliance is treating this incident seriously," he said in a statement.
"The situation was under control. NATO fighters responded, and the Russian aircraft were forced to withdraw," Michal added.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said members would meet early next week to discuss the incident in more detail.
On Saturday, a joint extraordinary session of Estonia's National Defense Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee will be held to discuss the airspace violations.
This morning, 3 Russian Mig-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace.
— Kristen Michal (@KristenMichalPM) September 19, 2025
NATO fighters responded and the Russian planes were forced to flee.
Such violation is totally unacceptable. The Government of Estonia has decided to request NATO Article 4 consultations.
Allies stand in solidarity with Estonia
On Friday evening, Estonia's allies condemned the violations and offered their support.
France, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Poland, Norway, Canada, Moldova, the EU, the UK, and others posted messages of solidarity.
Former prime minister and current EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said she was in close contact with the Estonian government.
"Putin is testing the West's resolve. We must not show weakness," she wrote.
NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte said he had spoken with Michal.
Martin L. O'Donnell, the spokesperson for NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, said Finland and Sweden also responded to the incident.
"This is not the behaviour one would expect from a professional air force," he said, referring to Russia in a comment
https://t.co/qrePPULuGv pic.twitter.com/oenJRdQNtY
— SHAPE - NATO Allied Command Operations (@SHAPE_NATO) September 19, 2025
Russian violations in 2025
This year, five Russian jets and one helicopter have breached Estonian airspace. A Russian ship also sailed in Estonian waters without permission.
The timeline is shown below.
May 13: A Sukhoi Su-35 breached Estonia's airspace above the Juminda Peninsula area in the Gulf of Finland and flew inside it for less than a minute. The jet was protecting a Russian "shadow fleet" vessel being escorted by the Estonian Navy.
June 22: An IL-76 transport aircraft entered Estonian airspace near the island of Vaindloo and stayed in Estonian airspace for approximately four minutes.
July 26: A Russian SVETLYAK-class border guard vessel, SOCHI 500, sailed in Estonian waters without permission for approximately 35 minutes. This was the first time a vessel belonging to the Russian Federation has violated Estonia's maritime border, the defense forces said.
September 7: A Russian Federation MI-8 helicopter entered Estonian airspace without permission and remained there for approximately four minutes.
September 19: Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace near Vaindloo Island without permission and remained there for nearly 12 minutes.
This story was updated to add information about Article 4 and previous violations.
--
Editor: Aleksander Krjukov, Marcus Turovski, Helen Wright
