Chilling new details released after Putin's jets violated European airspace for 12 minutes
Topics: World News, Russia, Politics, News
Lucy Devine
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/VALERY SHARIFULIN
Topics: World News, Russia, Politics, News
Worrying new details have emerged after Russia violated Estonia's airspace on Friday (September 19).
A trio of Russian MiG-31 fighter jets allegedly crossed into Estonia's airspace for approximately 12 minutes, just a week after Russian drones violated airspace in Poland.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna addressed the move in a statement, calling it 'unprecedentedly brazen'.
He said: “Russia has violated Estonian airspace four times already this year, which is unacceptable in itself, but today’s violation, during which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen.
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“Russia’s ever-increasing testing of borders and aggressiveness must be responded to by rapidly strengthening political and economic pressure.”
Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief and former Estonian prime minister, Kaja Kallas, took to social media to comment on Russia’s actions.
She said: “Today's violation of Estonia's airspace by Russian military aircraft is an extremely dangerous provocation.
“This marks the third such violation of EU airspace in days and further escalates tensions in the region. The EU stands in full solidarity with Estonia.
“I am in close contact with the Estonian government.
“We will continue to support our member states in strengthening their defenses with European resources.
“Putin is testing the West's resolve. We must not show weakness.”
Following the violation, it's now been reported that the jets had dismissed warnings from Italian pilots who had been flying F-35 jets.
Colonel Ants Kiviselg, commander of Estonia’s Military Intelligence Centre, said: “Russia acknowledged communication from Italian pilots flying F-35 fighter jets, but they apparently ignored it and didn’t actually follow the signs.
“Why they didn’t do it, that’s a question for the Russian pilots.”
He also added that the jets 'must have known that they are in [Estonian] airspace'.
Russia has since denied the violation, claiming its jets were in the neutral Baltic waters rather than Estonia airspace.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump said of the development: "I don't love it. I don't like it when that happens. It could be big trouble."
Earlier this month, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that armed forces had intercepted several drones - later identified as Russian - which had crossed into Polish airspace.
In a statement, he said: "Last night, the Polish airspace was violated by a huge number of Russian drones. Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down.
"I am in constant communication with the secretary general of NATO and our allies."
After its airspace had been violated, Poland requested to invoke NATO's Article 4, which means NATO members 'will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened'.
Any NATO member may request to activate Article 4 if 'territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the parties is threatened'.