Estonia has invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty, allowing for urgent consultations among member states, after Russian fighter jets violated its airspace on September 19.
NATO Article 4 Invoked
Estonia has decided to invoke Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which enables urgent consultations among member states when one of them feels its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened. This move comes after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonia’s airspace near the island of Vaindloo in the Gulf of Finland for about 12 minutes.
The Estonian military reported that the Russian jets did not have flight plans and did not use localization transponders. They also did not maintain communication with air traffic control. The incident was responded to by Italian F-35 fighter jets stationed at the Amari air base, which are participating in the Baltic Air Policing mission.
Russian Aggression Condemned
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski expressed solidarity with Estonia and strongly condemned the violation of its airspace by Russia. He stated on social media that Russia is once again provoking and showing that it is not interested in peace.
This incident follows a similar event last week when Poland invoked the NATO Article 4 procedure after Russian drones entered Polish airspace.
Details of the Incident
According to Estonian military representative Taavi Karotamm, the Russian jets flew along the Estonian border from east to west and penetrated Estonian airspace for less than 10 kilometers. They were intercepted by Finnish air forces and then escorted by Italian F-35 jets until they reached the Kaliningrad region.
The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian ambassador in Tallinn and delivered a protest note. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that this was the fourth airspace violation by Russia this year and described the incident as “unprecedentedly brazen.”
