Estonia has demanded urgent NATO consultations after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets penetrated its airspace on Friday morning in what Tallinn branded an “unprecedentedly brutal” provocation.
The aircraft, heavy interceptors capable of carrying hypersonic missiles, crossed into Estonian territory near Vaindloo Island from the Gulf of Finland, remaining inside NATO airspace for almost twelve minutes. They flew without flight plans, with transponders switched off and no radio contact with Estonian air traffic control.
Finnish jets first intercepted the formation over the Gulf of Finland before Italian F-35s, deployed at Ämari under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, escorted the Russians out.
Estonia’s government triggers Article 4
At a hastily convened security cabinet meeting, Estonia’s government agreed to trigger Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, a mechanism used when a member state considers its security under threat. Article 4 of the NATO treaty means any member can call consultations with all allies when it feels its security, territorial integrity or political independence is under threat.
“Such a violation is completely unacceptable, and NATO’s response to any provocation must be united and strong,” said Kristen Michal, Estonia’s prime minister. “We consider it essential to consult with our Allies to ensure shared situational awareness and to agree on our next joint steps.”
In an interview with Estonian public broadcasting, Michal said there are clear parameters for shooting down Russian fighter jets violating Estonia’s border, adding that the country has the means to use force if necessary.
The Estonian prime minister, Kristen Michal (centre), meeting with the NATO secretary-general, Mark Rutte, in June 2025. Photo by the Estonian government.
Margus Tsahkna, the country’s foreign minister, said the incident underlined the need for solidarity. “We will neither ignore such actions nor face them alone. NATO fighters responded quickly, but given Russia’s increasingly frequent provocations, we must now discuss the Alliance’s next steps,” he said. The Russian chargé d’affaires in Tallinn was summoned and handed a note of protest.
Hanno Pevkur, defence minister, called the airspace breach “absolutely unacceptable”, tying it to Moscow’s faltering war effort in Ukraine. “The aim is to distract NATO by forcing countries to focus on their own defence,” he argued, while praising the alliance’s rapid reaction. He pointed to NATO’s newly launched Eastern Sentry vigilance measure as evidence of a broader effort to reinforce the eastern flank.
A brazen provocation
The violation drew sharp words from Estonia’s parliament. Kalev Stoicescu, chair of the defence committee, described it as a “brazen provocation” designed to test NATO’s readiness. “The Russians, as usual, stage a demonstrative provocation: ‘So, how exactly are you defending your airspace?’” he said. “The Italians scrambled to escort them out, but in the end the Russians still did as they pleased, as if flying in their own skies.” He added that the incident bolstered arguments for upgrading NATO’s Baltic air policing to a full-fledged air defence mission.
Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets remained in Estonian airspace for almost twelve minutes before being repelled by Italian Air Force F-35s (pictured), deployed at Ämari airbase under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. Photo by Keiron Laubert.
Urmas Paet, MEP and former Estonian foreign minister, warned that society needed “swift, accurate and adequate information” about such major incidents. “The violation of NATO and EU airspace by three Russian fighters for as long as 12 minutes is a highly dangerous provocation,” he said.
The episode is the fourth Russian airspace breach against Estonia this year and comes amid a surge in similar incidents across NATO’s eastern border. In recent days, a Russian drone loitered over Romania for nearly an hour, while fighters in Poland scrambled to confront drones that crossed its skies, triggering civilian alerts. Wreckage from a Russian drone was also discovered off Latvia’s coast.
For Estonia, NATO’s smallest frontline state, the sight of Russian jets lingering for twelve minutes over its territory was both a show of Moscow’s intent and a reminder of Tallinn’s reliance on allied air power. As Stoicescu warned, “By no means can we rule out that this will happen again. The question is how Russia will next escalate, and how we will answer.”
