Russia violates Estonia airspace

Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace for 12 minutes on Friday, ignoring signals from Italian jets participating in NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission. This marks the fourth such violation by Russia this year. Russia's Defense Ministry denied the incursion, but Estonia and NATO allies confirmed it with radar and visual contact. Estonian officials, including Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, condemned the act as a serious violation and suggested it was a tactic by Russia to distract from Ukraine and test NATO's response. Estonia has requested consultations under Article 4 of NATO's treaty, similar to Poland's action after Russian drone incursions. While officials stated there was no need to trigger Article 5, the incident has prompted discussions among NATO members about appropriate responses to Russia's escalating aggression.