Estonia said Friday that three Russian MiG-31 fighter aircraft entered its airspace near Vaindloo Island in the Baltic Sea, remaining for about 12 minutes without clearance. The Estonian Foreign Ministry confirmed that a Russian diplomat was summoned in protest, calling the incident the most serious of several reported incursions this year.Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the action as “unprecedentedly brazen” and said the government will request NATO consultations under Article 4, which allows member states to discuss security concerns when territorial integrity or political independence is perceived to be under threat..NATO officials confirmed that Italian Air Force F-35 jets, stationed under the alliance’s Baltic Air Policing Mission, responded to the incident. Russia has not issued an immediate public statement.Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief and former Estonian prime minister, called the reported incursion “an extremely dangerous provocation” and said it heightened regional security concerns.The development follows last week’s incident in which NATO aircraft shot down Russian drones over Poland. That episode marked the first time a NATO member directly engaged Russian equipment since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022..Polish officials said the drones were not there by accident, countering earlier suggestions that they had strayed unintentionally. Other alliance members, including the Baltic states, have also reported drone crashes or airspace violations in recent months.Alongside security concerns, the European Commission on Friday unveiled a proposal to accelerate its phaseout of Russian liquefied natural gas imports, aiming to reduce purchases a year earlier than planned. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the measure is part of the bloc’s 19th sanctions package, which also seeks to target Russia’s use of shadow tankers and cryptocurrency to bypass restrictions.Von der Leyen stated that cutting energy revenues is intended to limit Russia’s ability to finance its war effort, while Kallas emphasized that the EU must close loopholes allowing Moscow to obtain military-related goods..The airspace violation comes as the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, with no breakthrough in peace talks. Ukraine has accepted proposals for a ceasefire and a summit, but Russia has not agreed to the terms. Meanwhile, Kyiv continues to expand international defense partnerships and investment in its domestic arms industry.
