On Friday morning, three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace. The aircraft were of the MiG-31 type. They approached near Vaindloo Island.
The aircraft did not have flight plans or functioning transponders. They also did not use radio communication with Estonian air traffic control. The jets were in Estonian airspace for about 12 minutes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a protest to Russia and delivered a note. Foreign Minister Tsahkna said that Russia has violated Estonian airspace four times already this year. He added that this is unacceptable and unprecedentedly aggressive.
Tsahkna also said that Russia is testing boundaries more and showing aggression. He stated that this must be responded to with political and economic pressure.
The magazine Politico wrote that the Russian fighters approached Tallinn. The aircraft penetrated about 10 kilometers deep into Estonian airspace. According to sources, the Russian fighters loitered for about 12 minutes. Then Italian F-35 fighters were sent to intercept them.
The location of Vaindloo Island can be viewed on Google Maps.