On Friday September 12th, three MIG-31 fighters from Russia entered for about twelve minutes in Estonia’s airspace, so NATOno flight plan and without communication with the control tower. Italian F-35 fighters, developed in the context of the alliance’s air police mission to the area, took off for interception.
Immediately, the Estonia He denounced this violation as “unprecedented cruelty”, while NATO spoke of “a new example of dangerous Russian behavior”. The episode that It took place just ten days after about twenty drones invaded the Poland airspace.
In its analysis, Le Monde notes that these incidents reveal both the vulnerability of the alliance’s anti -aircraft defense and Moscow’s willingness to maintain a constant pressure far beyond the Ukrainian front.
The Tallinn on the front line
Estonian Foreign Minister Margos Tsachkna recalled that Russia had already violated the country’s airspace four times in 2025. Estonia, which does not have its own fighter aircraft, depends fully on NATO allies to protect its airspace.
A situation that enhances the concern of the Baltic countries over the “ever -increasing aggression of Moscow”.
Context
These tensions coincide with important military exercises. Russia has recently completed Zapad-2025 in Belarus, with about 15,000 troops-much less than 200,000 of the 2021 exercise-but with simulations of using regular nuclear weapons. Even more symbolic was the presence of Indian soldiers, along with Iranian, Malmalic and Bourkinibe, showing Moscow’s role in a “opponent model” of the Western world.
In response, NATO is preparing its own naval exercise, Neptune Strike, scheduled for September 22 to September 26, with the participation of USS Gerald-Ford, German, Swedish and Finnish ships, as well as a French frigate.
Escalation that worries the sunrise
For Tallinn, as well as for Warsaw, these violations are a reason to warn their allies and ask for an extraordinary meeting of the Alliance under Article 4. According to Le Monde, Russia’s goal remains clear: to maintain pressure and reminds that the war in the European environment is more and more.