Estonia summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Tallinn on Friday, 19 September, after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland and remained for around 12 minutes.
The Estonian Foreign Ministry issued a formal note of protest, stating the aircraft entered without flight plans, transponders inactive and no radio contact, and said the breach occurred near Vaindloo Island. NATO said allied aircraft were scrambled to intercept.
On the same day, Poland’s Border Guard reported that two Russian fighter jets conducted low passes over the Petrobaltic offshore platform in the Baltic Sea, violating the installation’s safety zone. Polish authorities said the country’s Armed Forces and other services were notified following the incident.
Estonia described the airspace violation as the latest in a series of incursions this year. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Russia had already breached Estonian airspace several times in 2025; the involvement of three fighters and the duration of Friday’s flight were presented as particularly serious by Tallinn. The government statement was released at 17:05 local time.
NATO confirmed that Italian Air Force F-35s, deployed to Ämari Air Base under the Baltic Air Policing rotation, responded to the MiG-31s’ entry. Alliance officials characterised the behaviour as unsafe and said the response demonstrated routine quick-reaction procedures on the Alliance’s eastern flank. Estonian officials have also indicated that consultations under Article 4 were being sought in response to the incident.
The Polish episode occurred at the Petrobaltic platform, operated in the Baltic Sea by a Polish company. According to Poland’s Border Guard, the aircraft overflew the installation at low altitude, breaching the designated security perimeter around the platform. The service did not release details on aircraft type, altitude or duration. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, and Polish authorities said relevant agencies, including the Armed Forces, were informed.
EU High Representative Kaja Kallas commented on the Estonian breach, calling it an “extremely dangerous provocation” and stating that such actions test the resolve of Western governments. She said the EU stood in full solidarity with Estonia and that she was in contact with Tallinn.
The two developments added to a week of heightened military activity in and around the Baltic region. Estonia had launched short-notice Defence Forces drills to rehearse responses to airspace infringements. Regional governments have also tightened border measures during large-scale Russian-Belarusian exercises this month. While such measures vary by state, several capitals have reported unmanned and manned incursions near their borders in recent days.
In Tallinn, officials emphasised standard aviation safety requirements that apply to aircraft operating near controlled airspace: filing a flight plan, keeping transponders active and maintaining radio contact. Estonia said the Russian jets complied with none of these during Friday’s flight. The Foreign Ministry stated that the incursion was the fourth recorded breach of Estonian airspace by Russian military aircraft in 2025. The government said further technical information would be released as radar tracks and allied reporting were consolidated.
NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission continues to rotate allied fighter detachments through Ämari in Estonia and Šiauliai in Lithuania. The mission, in place since 2004, involves routine identification of aircraft operating near Alliance airspace and, where required, interception. The presence of Italian F-35s in Estonia this rotation has been noted by both the Estonian government and the Alliance in recent briefings.
Warsaw’s report regarding Petrobaltic underlines the impact of regional tensions on civilian and industrial infrastructure at sea. Safety zones around offshore platforms are designed to reduce risks to personnel and operations. Polish agencies did not specify whether any follow-on measures would be taken but indicated that the military and other services were engaged.
There was no detailed public response from Moscow at the time of publication. Estonia said it would pursue the matter through diplomatic channels and within NATO frameworks. EU institutions and several European capitals issued statements of support for Tallinn and signalled that the overall security situation will feature in upcoming discussions among Allied and EU leaders.
First published on defencematters.eu.
Jets scramble, policy hesitates: NATO response to Poland incursions underwhelms
