Russian warplanes entered Nato airspace in Estonia, triggering an emergency alarm in the Baltic Sea.
The violation, which lasted for a minute, has been condemned by Tallinn's Foreign Minister as “very serious” and “not acceptable in any way”.
The Russian Sukhoi Su-35 combat jet flew without a flight plan, with its transponders off, and with no radio contact.
The breach coincided with Exercise Hedgehog, Estonia’s largest annual military drill involving over 16,000 Nato troops.
The Russian Sukhoi Su-35 combat jet flew without a flight plan, with its transponders off, and with no radio contact (not pictured)
Getty
In response, Portuguese F-16s, deployed under Nato's Baltic Air Policing mission, launched a reconnaissance flight
Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the violation as “a very serious and regrettable incident, which is not acceptable in any way”.
A protest has been lodged with the Russian embassy in Tallinn, the Foreign Ministry said.
The breach was the first of its kind recorded since 2023.
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Estonia has said Russia should face 'face tougher, faster sanctions' in response
REUTERSIt happened after the Estonian Navy said that it had attempted to detain a Russia-bound oil tanker under sanction by the UK, saying that it sailed illegally without a flag.
When the vessel refused to cooperate, the navy said they did not board, instead escorting it to Russian waters.
The vessel, Jaguar, was added to the UK added to its sanctions list last Friday.
It is one of about 100 in Russia's “shadow fleet”, a term Western countries use for ships they accuse Moscow of deploying to avoid international sanctions, typically unregulated and uninsured by regular Western organisation.
Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the violation as 'a very serious and regrettable incident, which is not acceptable in any way'
Reuters
Military jets from a Nato policing mission based in the Baltic states took off to inspect the Russian vessel, said the minister, who earlier called on X for Russia to “face tougher, faster sanctions” in response.
“The Russian Federation sent a fighter jet to check the situation, and this fighter jet violated Nato territory for close to one minute,” Tsahkna told reporters in the Turkish city of Antalya.
“We need to understand that Russia has officially tried and connected itself to the Russian 'shadow fleet'," he said, speaking ahead of a meeting of Nato foreign ministers.
“(The) Russian Federation is ready to protect the 'shadow fleet'... The situation is really serious.”
