Estonia condemns brazen Russian airspace violation as tensions rise on NATO's eastern flank

Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission on Friday and remained there for a total of 12 minutes over the Gulf of Finland, Estonia's foreign ministry said, describing the incursion as brazen. The ministry summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires to lodge a protest, and there was condemnation from Estonian leaders, including Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who called the move unprecedentedly brazen. The incident comes amid a pattern of increasingly assertive Russian air activity on the Baltic and eastern flank of NATO.

NATO members responded with a quick scramble of alliance aircraft to patrol the airspace, with Italian F-35s dispatched as duty fighters to intercept the intruding jets. Estonia’s government said three MiG-31s entered Estonian airspace without permission and stayed for 12 minutes before exiting. Foreign Minister Tsahkna argued that Russia’s testing of borders and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure, noting that Estonia had already reported four airspace violations in 2025.

The incident in Estonia followed a broader pattern of provocative moves by Moscow on NATO’s eastern edge. In the week prior to the Estonian crossing, there were widespread reports of Russian drones entering Polish airspace, prompting a multinational NATO response and raising questions about the alliance’s readiness to respond to taunting incursions. Estonia’s government characterized the latest violation as another escalation, underscoring the importance of reinforced border security and allied air-policing missions on the Baltic sea corridor.

Beyond the Baltic, Russian rhetoric and military posturing have intensified concerns about Finland, a NATO member since 2023. A series of public statements from Kremlin figures has portrayed Finland in a hostile light, fueling fears of a broader information campaign designed to lay groundwork for possible aggression. The Institute for the Study of War warned that the Kremlin has sought to delegitimize Finland through messaging that mirrors justifications used in past actions against Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested Finland’s neutral posture had begun to erode, while Sergei Ivanov signaled that Russian-Finnish ties would remain strained.

Analysts say the current environment mirrors earlier episodes when Moscow used information campaigns and coercive tactics to expand influence near NATO borders. The region has also seen major NATO exercises and security builds along the Eastern Flank. In Poland, authorities reported that between 19 and 23 drones penetrated Polish airspace on September 9, triggering a swift air-policing response and prompting renewed calls for a unified Western deterrent. Romania later accused Russia of breaching its airspace on September 13, while Latvia reported a drone crash on its eastern edge. In response, European allies accelerated the deployment of personnel and hardware under joint western defense initiatives aimed at deterring further incursions.

The security concerns are playing out as Western allies seek to bolster defenses along the Baltic states. The coordinated response includes a multinational “Eastern Sentry” initiative, which, in its initial phase, involves deploying air defense and naval escorts to tighten monitoring of the region and deter any potential aggression. The mission has drawn participation from several NATO members, including Denmark, France and Germany, with jets and ships contributing to a broader eastern defense posture.

Estonia has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine and has repeatedly pressed for stronger political and economic pressure on Moscow in response to the broader aggression against Ukraine. The latest airspace violation adds to a tally of incidents that have kept Baltic capitals on high alert as they seek to deter and demonstrate readiness in the face of evolving Russian tactics. Estonia’s push for reinforced deterrence echoes neighboring Baltic states and broader NATO efforts to harden borders, improve early-warning systems and ensure rapid response among alliance jets when intrusions occur.

As the region braces for potential further provocations, analysts note that the combination of airspace intrusions, information campaigns, and large-scale military drills signals Moscow’s intent to test NATO’s resolve and readiness. The international community has emphasized the importance of maintaining unity and vigilance, ensuring that sanctions, diplomacy, and defense coordination remain aligned with defense commitments to deter aggression and uphold regional security. The latest incident underscores the challenges of keeping pace with rapidly changing security dynamics on Europe’s eastern edge and the ongoing need for robust alliance coordination and deterrence in the Baltic region.