Estonia’s Ministry of Defence released a map illustrating the violation of the country’s airspace by three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets on 19 September, according to the ministry’s social media posts. The aircraft entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without permission and remained there for 12 minutes.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the jets entered Estonian airspace and lingered over the Gulf of Finland for 12 minutes. The ministry reports that the Russian fighters flew parallel to the state border from east to west, then entered the airspace to a depth of less than 10 kilometers with transponders off and without radio communication. NATO aviation escorted the aircraft.

Prior to this incident, Russia’s Defence Ministry reported that on 19 September, three MiG-31 aircraft flew from Russian Karelia to an airfield in Kaliningrad Oblast “without violating the borders of other states.”

Moscow maintained that the aircraft route passed over neutral waters, contradicting what Estonia’s Defence Ministry map shows.

Defence Minister Margus Tsahkna said that Russia has already violated Estonia’s airspace four times this year, calling such actions “unacceptable,” but described the incursion of three fighters as “unprecedentedly brazen.” Following the incident, Estonia’s government requested NATO to invoke Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

Additionally, Poland reported that on 19 September, two Russian fighters violated the security zone of the Petrobaltic drilling platform in the Baltic Sea.