Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply condemned Russia’s violation of Estonian airspace, calling it a dangerous and unacceptable provocation by Moscow.
“The Russian incursion into Estonian airspace is a new, destabilizing measure by Moscow,” Zelensky said, describing the incident as “scandalous.”
“Russian warplanes once again violated NATO airspace, this time over Estonia. This is unacceptable. Russian destabilization is spreading into new countries and new directions. It is a systematic campaign that Russia is waging against Europe, against NATO, against the West. And this requires a systematic response,” he declared, urging “strong measures.”
Zelensky emphasized that both collective and individual state actions are needed to confront Moscow’s escalations.
According to reports, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets breached Estonian airspace for 12 minutes, marking another direct provocation against NATO and adding to regional tensions.
International reactions were swift. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas condemned Russia’s actions and called for a firm joint response. Meanwhile, NATO described the incident as “another example of Russia’s reckless behavior” and announced the launch of Operation Sentinel East to reinforce patrols along the Alliance’s eastern flank.
