Estonia reported that yesterday a “Sukhoi Su-30“ entered the country's airspace without permission for about a minute near the island of Vaindlu in the Baltic Sea, DPA reported, citing the Estonian Armed Forces, BTA reported.
The Italian Air Force responded to the airspace violation, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a statement, adding that "there was no threat to Estonia's security."
Tsahkna said the foreign ministry had summoned the acting chargé d'affaires of the Russian embassy and handed him a note about the violation.
The incident follows a series of airspace violations by Russia last year, including with military drones over NATO's eastern flank, which has raised concerns among allies in Europe.
According to Estonia, three Russian fighter jets flew over Estonia without permission for about 12 minutes before being escorted out of the airspace by Italian F-35 fighter jets. Russia denied violating the airspace at the time.
In response, Estonia requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and consultations with its allies under Article 4 of the NATO Treaty. In a subsequent statement, the military alliance warned Russia against further border violations, threatening the use of force.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, all three NATO members, do not have their own fighter jets, so their airspace has been protected by the military alliance since 2004. The allies have been deploying fighter jets and personnel on a rotational basis in the three Baltic states that border Russian territory, DPA noted.