Russian fighter jets, in brazen incursion, spend more than 10 minutes in Estonian airspace

News outlets reported on Friday that three Russian MiG-31 fighter aircraft entered Estonian airspace without flight plans and with their transponders deactivated, remaining in the area for 12 minutes.

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Russian Federation to lodge a formal protest and deliver a diplomatic note. Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna, described the incursion of three fighter jets as “unprecedented and brazen”.

Today @MFAestonia summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires over another violation of Estonia’s airspace, when three Russian MiG-31s entered our airspace over the Gulf of Finland for 12 minutes.

This is an unprecedented and brazen intrusion — clear proof of Russia’s growing…
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) September 19, 2025

Increase in violations

The incident follows recent violations of Polish and Romanian airspace by Russian-operated drones, which have been widely condemned and interpreted as attempts to test NATO’s eastern defences.

Russia is showing the full extent of its contempt for diplomacy and international law.

So we're increasing the pressure.

With our 19th package of sanctions covering energy, financial services and trade restrictions ↓ https://t.co/uW7HuZp3br
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) September 19, 2025

The latest breach occurred on the same day that the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, confirmed in separate statements that the 27-member bloc had approved a 19th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation in response to its ongoing war against Ukraine.