Russia Sends Three Fighters Into NATO Airspace | Political News
Russian plane carried out two provocative operations on Friday over the Baltic Sea. The two incidents, separated by only a few hours, have resulted in elevated readiness of NATO fighters in the world and in Estonia requesting emergency consultations under Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
The first incident concerned three Russian MiG-31 fighters, which entered Estonian airspace around 10 a.m. local time. The MiG-31 is a fourth-generation fighter reputed, at least by the Russians, to be the quickest fighter in the world. It can carry the nuclear-capable Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile. The flight approached from over the Gulf of Finland and was intercepted by Finnish Air Force fighters close to Vaindloo Island, about 124 miles from Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. The Russians lingered in the world for roughly 12 minutes before the arrival of Italian F-35s under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, with help from Finnish and Swedish jets.
Serious escalation on NATO’s jap flank.
Three russian MiG-31 fighters (heavy interceptors succesful of being outfitted with hypersonic Kinzhal missiles) violated Estonian airspace and approached the capital, Tallinn, to within roughly 5 nautical miles (roughly 9… https://t.co/nL0VXZ8fxx pic.twitter.com/JR2OrXmR6t
— Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 (@jurgen_nauditt) September 19, 2025
The map exhibits the flight path of three Russian MiG-31s that violated Estonian airspace close to Vaindloo island on 19 Sept. They remained for practically 12 minutes with transponders off, no radio contact. NATO Baltic Air Policing F-35s responded. Russia’s 4th airspace violation this 12 months pic.twitter.com/LPsPUoFtHq
— Estonian Defence Forces | Eesti Kaitsevägi (@Kaitsevagi) September 20, 2025
“This is unprecedentedly brazen,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna declared, summoning Russia’s charge d’affaires in protest. “Russia has violated our airspace four times this year alone, but sending three fighters this deep is a direct challenge to our sovereignty.” Estonia’s authorities invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty Saturday, triggering pressing consultations among the 32 members on bolstering defenses. Prime Minister Kristen Michal emphasised the need for “rapid political and economic pressure” on Moscow. This is the Estonian Prime Minister:
This morning, 3 Russian Mig-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace.
NATO fighters responded and the Russian planes have been pressured to flee.
Such violation is completely unacceptable. The Government of Estonia has determined to request NATO Article 4 consultations.
— Kristen Michal (@KristenMichalPM) September 19, 2025
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart labeled the breach “reckless,” confirming alliance jets “responded immediately.”
https://t.co/qrePPULuGv pic.twitter.com/oenJRdQNtY
— SHAPE – NATO Allied Command Operations (@SHAPE_NATO) September 19, 2025
EU overseas coverage chief Kaja Kallas, a former Estonian premier, called it an “extremely dangerous provocation.”
Today’s violation of Estonia’s airspace by Russian navy plane is an extraordinarily harmful provocation.
This marks the third such violation of EU airspace in days and additional escalates tensions in the area.
The EU stands in full solidarity with Estonia (1/2)
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) September 19, 2025
Moscow denied that something of the type occurred. According to TASS, Russia’s Defense Ministry insisted the MiG-31s have been on a “scheduled flight” from Karelia to Kaliningrad, Russia’s Baltic exclave, over “neutral waters” more than three kilometers from Vaindloo. “The aircraft did not deviate from the agreed path and complied with international rules.”
Just hours later, the Polish Border Guard revealed two unidentified Russian fighter jets executed a low-altitude “buzz” over the Petrobaltic oil and gas platform. The flyover breached the installation’s protected safety zone in Warsaw’s exclusive economic zone, prompting alerts to the armed forces and maritime authorities.
BREAKING:
Two Russian fighter jets have performed a low pass (around 150 m) over the Poland’s Petrobaltic platform for oil and gas in the Baltic Sea.
The low pass violated the platform’s safety zone. The Polish Armed Forces have been placed on alert. pic.twitter.com/pBnILEbDEb
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 19, 2025
These two incidents come days after some 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace from Belarus despite Russia saying they strayed from an attack on western Ukraine. This also caused Poland to ask for Article 4 consultations.
RELATED:
Despite President Trump writing off the large incursion of Polish airspace by Russian drones as a mistake (Is Trump Pulling the Plug on His Role in Ending the Russia-Ukraine War? – RedState), it’s apparent to even the most informal observer that this sequence of occasions is something but a mistake.
The drones despatched into Poland have been despatched by the route an air assault against Poland would observe. They have been largely decoy drones, and the exercise was calculated to map Polish air protection radar systems, take a look at their ranges, and take a look at the response time of the Polish Air Force. Friday’s expedition had the same goals. The MiGs have been outfitted to be non-threatening so as not to escalate the interception into a dogfight.
The Russian incursion of Estonian airspace with 3 x MiG-31 today was a deliberate provocation to sow doubt and confusion amongst NATO nations. Today these plane have been only armed with air-to-air missiles (pic 1), but tomorrow it could possibly be one thing more sinister (pic 2). 🧵1/5 pic.twitter.com/56ZCqS029b
— Greg Bagwell (@gregbagwell) September 19, 2025
Plus, the Russians despatched in one of their most radar-visible plane.
Just so we’re all on the same web page right here. There is nothing unintended about this incursion. Using MIG-31 was a deliberate ploy, because it has a large radar cross part. What is Russia’s recreation plan? As famous elsewhere, Putin is altering the narrative. He needs people to consider… https://t.co/bruRgfUkzX
— Nicholas Drummond (@nicholadrummond) September 19, 2025
Again, they have been mapping air protection radar coverage of the Gulf of Finland and the jap Baltic and testing NATO response and response instances.
This was also a political transfer to additional isolate Europe, as President Trump sends repeated alerts that the Europeans had better be taught to fend for themselves.
Not only have been the Russians out to rattle cages in Tallinn, they have been sending a message to the Finns.
Russia laying groundwork for aggression against Finland
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Kremlin is conducting a coordinated data marketing campaign against Finland, echoing the rhetoric that preceded the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The marketing campaign’s… pic.twitter.com/pKYa9oLsEG
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) September 19, 2025
As I’ve identified on a number of events, people who are placing a benign gloss on Putin’s actions because “he wouldn’t invade Western Europe” are merely dumb or Russian stooges. Russia pioneered the use of hybrid battle in Ukraine in 2014, finally injecting Russian Army regulars into what had been a civil battle. I believe all three Baltic States, significantly Latvia, are weak to a Russian navy intervention in the guise of local “resistance” forces to defend a sizeable and completely uninterested in assimilation Russian population from “oppression.” This could be a casus belli very comparable to Russia’s “defense” of Russian audio system in Donbas; see How Putin Dismembers NATO Without Firing A Shot. A Scenario From the Cold War.
Because Putin hasn’t acquired any response past imply phrases, he’s persevering with the trail of escalation.
Perhaps the launching of drones into Romanian and Polish airspace and the 2 incidents from Friday will finally push Europe to totally focus on what is an existential disaster for the EU and for NATO: Russian adventurism and expansionism.
Moscow thinks it may well keep its battle going.
We are making sure it pays the price for it.Today, we current our nineteenth sanctions bundle. Every sanction reduces the Kremlin’s capability to wage battle.
We gained’t stop placing stress on Russia until it ends its battle.
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) September 19, 2025
A new spherical of sanctions appears sure to be imposed on Russia in the very close to future; EU hammers Putin and charms Trump by concentrating on China, India in new Russia sanctions.
There is also the likelihood that Russian plane in NATO airspace could also be met with lethal pressure.
In 2015, Turkey reacted to a Russian violation of its airspace by taking pictures down a Russian strike fighter.
A reminder that it took Turkey 17 seconds to shoot down a Russian Su-24 in 2015. https://t.co/Yrext9aNLl pic.twitter.com/wM8pJv52kY
— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 19, 2025
Lithuania’s Defense Minister left no doubt that the Turkish incident was concerned in NATO’s Article 4 consultations.
Three russian fighter jets over Tallinn is one more exhausting proof that #EasternSentry is long due.
NATOs border in the North East is being examined for a cause.
We need to imply business.
PS. Türkiye set an instance 10 years in the past.
Some food for thought.— Dovilė Šakalienė (@DSakaliene) September 19, 2025
It is crunch time for the EU and for NATO. The next Russian incursion wants to be met with overwhelming pressure, or they may as properly fold their tent and slink away to Siberia.
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