TALLINN — Russia on Monday dismissed accusations that its fighter jets had breached NATO airspace, warning that such claims only inflame regional tensions, according to “Hurriyet Daily News. The Kremlin’s denial came after Estonia reported that three Russian MiG-31s crossed into its territory over the Gulf of Finland, sparking alarm across the alliance.
“We consider such statements empty, unfounded, and part of a deliberate policy of escalating tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, rejecting Estonia’s protest as baseless.
Estonia, backed by its NATO allies, said the violation was no routine incident. The foreign ministry confirmed it had requested an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, the first in Estonia’s 34 years of U.N. membership to address what it called a “brazen violation” of sovereignty. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the incursion as “part of a broader pattern of escalation by Russia, both regionally and globally,” and urged an international response.
The episode triggered a swift military reaction. Italian F-35s stationed in the Baltics under NATO’s air defense mission, alongside Swedish and Finnish aircraft, intercepted the Russian jets and escorted them away. Western officials warned the encounter underscored the risks of miscalculation in an already volatile region.
The United States joined the chorus of condemnation. President Donald Trump, who was briefed on the incident, vowed support for Estonia, Poland, and other eastern allies. “We don’t like it,” he told reporters, a marked shift in tone from earlier this month when he suggested repeated Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace “could have been a mistake.”
The latest provocation comes as the war in Ukraine grinds through its fourth year. On Monday, Russia and Ukraine traded blame for deadly overnight strikes. Moscow said a Ukrainian drone attack in Crimea killed three people in Foros, while Kyiv reported that Russian bombs on Zaporizhzhia left two dead.
As accusations fly across battlefields and borders, Europe’s skies are once again becoming contested terrain with each violation carrying the weight of potential escalation.
