Estonia requests Nato Article 4 consultation over Russian fighter jets incident
Estonia has formally requested a Nato Article 4 consultation over the Russian violation of its airspace earlier today, the country’s prime minister Kristen Michal said.
In a post on X, he confirmed that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace, and were confronted by Nato fighters, before they were “forced to flee.”
“Such violation is totally unacceptable,” Michal said.
Key events
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Summary
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What is Nato’s Article 4 and when is it used?
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Nato to convene North Atlantic Council next week to discuss Russian violation of Estonian airspace
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France says Russian warplane incursions into Estonian airspace are blatant violation of international law
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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy condemns ‘outrageous’ violation of Estonian airspace, calls for ‘strong action’ against Russia
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‘Russia escalated, we do nothing… starting to see pattern there,’ former Lithuanian minister says
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Nato says Russian violation ‘not type of behaviour one would expect from professional air force’ as confirms details of response
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Nato’s response was ‘quick and decisive,’ secretary general Rutte says after call with Estonian PM
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UK condemns ‘another reckless incursion into Nato airspace by Russia’
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Estonia requests Nato Article 4 consultations — snap analysis
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Estonia requests Nato Article 4 consultation over Russian fighter jets incident
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Nato’s border ‘tested for reason,’ Lithuanian defence minister warns, references 2015 Turkish decision to shot Russian jet down
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Poland says Russian jets performed low pass over Petrobaltic platform in Baltic Sea, violating safety zone
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‘Vigilance is price of freedom,’ German FM says as he condemn Russian incursion into Estonia
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Russian incursion into Estonian airspace ‘direct threat to transatlantic security,’ Ukrainian foreign minister says
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Estonian incident shows ‘seriousness of Russian threat,’ Swedish PM says
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Russia is ‘escalating tensions … and testing how far it can go,’ Czech PM warns
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Russia ‘directly threatens Euroatlantic security,’ Lithuania’s foreign minister says
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EU’s Costa blasts ‘unacceptable provocation’ by Russia, says leaders will discuss at next summit
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Russian jets intercepted by Italian F-35s stationed in Estonia, army confirms
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EU’s von der Leyen urges leaders to ‘swiftly’ adopt sanctions against Russia after Estonia incident
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Nato intercepted Russian aircraft over Estonia, Nato spokesperson confirms
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‘Extremely dangerous provocation,’ EU’s Kallas says on Russian fighter jets over Estonia, which ‘further escalates tensions in region’
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‘Unprecedently brazen’ violation of Nato airspace, Estonia’s foreign minister says
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Estonian airspace violated by three Russian military jets — reports
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Italy sees union strikes in solidarity with Palestine
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Salvini’s embrace with Russian ambassador, comments on Israel land him in political controversy
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Proposed sanctions will still need to be approved by member states — snap analysis
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‘Any source of income for Kremlin to continue its aggression is target’ for EU sanctions, Kallas says
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EU wants to bring forward phase out of Russian LNG imports by 2027
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Russia ‘has shown full extent of contempt for diplomacy and law,’ EU’s von der Leyen says
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China, India and Belarus line up for Russia’s rival version of Eurovision
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Eight EU countries believed to be importing Russian gas
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European Commission puts forward new package of sanctions against Russia
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EU to propose bringing Russian LNG ban forward to 2027 – sources
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‘No evidence’ Putin wants peace in Ukraine, outgoing MI6 chief warns
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EU leaders get invite to meet in Copenhagen for talks on defence, Ukraine
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Morning opening: New EU sanctions on Russia could come today
Summary
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Nato intercepted three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets that violated Estonia’s airspace over the Baltic Sea in a 12-minute incursion, with European leaders condemning it as proof of Moscow’s “reckless” behaviour. Tensions have been rising on Nato’s eastern border since Russian drones overflew Polish territory last week. Estonia’s foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, said: “Russia has already violated Estonia’s airspace four times this year, which in itself is unacceptable. But today’s incursion … is unprecedentedly brazen.” He added: “Russia’s increasingly extensive testing of boundaries and growing aggressiveness must be met with a swift increase in political and economic pressure.”
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Estonia’s defence forces said the MiG-31s were intercepted on Friday morning by Italian F-35 fighter jets based in Ämari in Estonia as part of the transatlantic defence alliance’s air policing mission over the Baltic Sea. The Russian fighters entered Estonian airspace near Vaindloo island in the Gulf of Finland, did not have flight plans, had turned their transponders off and were not communicating with air traffic control, the Estonian military said.
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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s actions as “outrageous” as he urged allies to take “strong action” against Moscow. “These are not accidents,” he warned in a social media post, referring to a long list of Russian violations of European airspace of Poland, Romania and Estonia, and alleged interference in electoral processes in Romania and Moldova. “It requires a systemic response,” he said. “Strong action must be taken – both collectively and individually by each nation.”
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The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, accused Moscow of an “extremely dangerous provocation” and said the latest Russian violation of Nato’s eastern borders “further escalates tensions in the region”.
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The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said Europe “stands with Estonia” and would “respond to every provocation with determination”. “As threats escalate, so will our pressure,” she said, calling on the EU’s 27 member states to swiftly approve the bloc’s 19th package of sanctions against Moscow.
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Nato spokesperson Allison Hart said that the North Atlantic Council will convene early next week to discuss the incident in more detail, after Estonia requested Nato open consultations under Article 4 of the alliance’s treaty. Article 4 states that members will consult whenever the territory, political independence or security of any is threatened.
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EU leaders will discuss their “collective response” to Russia’s violations of European airspace at a meeting in Copenhagen on 1 October, said the European Council president, António Costa. “Today’s violation of Estonian airspace by three Russian military aircraft is another unacceptable provocation,” he wrote on X.
Major Taavi Karotamm, spokesperson for the Estonian Defense Forces, told The Associated Press the Russian planes flew parallel to the Estonian border from east to west and did not head toward the capital, Tallinn.
Karotamm said the reason for the border violation is unknown, but added that it may have been to “shift the focus of Nato and its members on to defending itself, rather than bolstering Ukrainian defense”.
What is Nato’s Article 4 and when is it used?
Article 4 of its treaty states that any member country can formally bring an issue on concern to the attention of Nato’s principal decision-making body, the North Atlantic Council, to meet and discuss next steps with allies, if they believe their territorial integrity, political independence, or security is threatened.
It should not be confused with Article 5, which is the collective commitment at the core of the transatlantic defense alliance that an attack on one is an attack on all (that has only been invoked once – by the US after 9/11).
But while Article 4 doesn’t mandate military action, the consultation process can lead to joint decisions or actions by the alliance.
Article 4 has been triggered seven other times since Nato was formed in 1949. It was most recently triggered by Poland after the country reported 19 violations of its airspace by Russian drones last week, which Polish officials called a “Russian provocation.”.
Poland, along with Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovakia, also requested to hold consultations in the immediate aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Poland had also previously invoked Article 4 in March 2014 regarding Russia’s actions during its illegal annexation of the Crimea.
All of the other rare invocations of Article 4 were by Turkey, which asked on multiple occasions for consultations related to threats coming from Iraq and Syria. Turkey last triggered Article 4 in July 2015, following terrorist attacks in the country.
Estonia summoned the Russian charge d’affaires, a diplomat who temporarily takes the place of an ambassador, and gave them a protest note over the incident, the foreign ministry has told the Associated Press.
Along with radio silence as yet from the White House, Moscow has yet to comment on the incident.
But Reuters has asked Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, in New York about it. He said he wasn’t aware of the incident, but added:
I do not trust what Estonia is saying about Russia.
When told about the accusation by Estonia that Russia had flown jets into its airspace, Nebenzia said:
How tragic.
Nato to convene North Atlantic Council next week to discuss Russian violation of Estonian airspace
Following Russia’s violation of Estonia airspace on Friday, Nato spokesperson Allison Hart said that the North Atlantic Council will convene early next week to discuss the incident in more detail.
Estonia earlier formally requested consultations under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty. The procedure says that:
“The Parties 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.”
It was last triggered by Poland earlier this month after Russian drones incursion into its airspace, and previously by a group of countries in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
As Jakub noted earlier, it’s a clear sign that Estonia sees the incident as a direct threat to its security, and of growing regional concerns about Russia’s increasingly aggressive posture and provocations.
The defence minister of neighbouring Latvia, Andris Sprūds, has also condemned Russia’s incursion, which he said underscored the need to strengthen the defence of the eastern flank.
“Airspace protection in the Baltics must be further reinforced through NATO’s air defence mission,” Sprūds said on X.
As European leaders clamour to condemn Russia’s latest violation of a Nato member’s airspace, Donald Trump’s White House is being closely watched for a response.
Washington had had little to say about last week’s drone incursion into Poland and didn’t participate directly in fending it off, fuelling a deepening anxiety among Nato members, who are increasingly questioning the US president’s commitment to their defense in the event of a Russian attack.
In response to Reuters’ requests for comment, the US state department has referred queries to the White House, which has not yet responded. We’ll let you know if and when that changes.
But for now, a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, has told Reuters: “It’s tough to see how this wasn’t intentional.” While incursions over Vaindloo Island by Russian aircraft are fairly common, they do not usually last as long as Friday’s incident.
France says Russian warplane incursions into Estonian airspace are blatant violation of international law
France, which has a battalion, including fighter jets, based in Estonia, Reuters notes, has called Russian warplane incursions into the Baltic states a blatant violation of international law.
“This incursion into Estonia is unprecedented for more than 20 years,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The violation by Russian military jets of Nato member Estonia’s airspace was the latest dangerous activity by Russia in recent days, Britain’s defence minister John Healey has said.
“Russia’s latest reckless and dangerous activity is the third violation of NATO airspace in recent days,” Healey wrote on X. “But Putin’s aggression only serves to strengthen the unity of NATO and our resolve to stand with Ukraine.”
His comments echo those made earlier by foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, who also expressed the country’s solidarity with Estonia condemning “another reckless incursion into Nato airspace by Russia.”
Jakub Krupa
That’s all from me, Jakub Krupa, as I hand the blog over to Lucy Campbell for more reactions and comments on the Russian violation of Nato airspace in Estonia (16:13, 16:43, 16:58, 17:16, 17:35), which prompted Tallin to request Article 4 consultations within Nato (19:40, 19:44).
Separately, Poland (19:06) and Germany (20:17) also reported security incidents involving Russian aircraft near Nato airspace.
Earlier today, the German delegation to Nato flagged up yet another incident, as it said its Eurofighter jet scrambled from the Laage military base to respond to a Russian Il-20 military aircraft flying “close to Nato airspace without a flight plan or transponder signal.”
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy condemns ‘outrageous’ violation of Estonian airspace, calls for ‘strong action’ against Russia
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the Russian violation of Nato airspace in Estonia as “outrageous,” urging allies to take a “strong action” against Moscow.
“These are not accidents,” he warned in a social media post, referring to a long list of Russian violations of European airspace of Poland, Romania and Estonia and alleged interference in electoral processes in Romania and Moldova.
He said:
“It requires a systemic response. Strong action must be taken – both collectively and individually by each nation.
Russia must feel increasing pain from the world’s pressure, first and foremost through its economy, and that is best ensured by sanctions. At the same time, Russia’s war losses must continue to rise, which is best achieved by a strong Ukrainian army.
I thank everyone who helps. Europe, the United States, the Group of Seven – strong action is required from all.”
‘Russia escalated, we do nothing… starting to see pattern there,’ former Lithuanian minister says
Former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, a longstanding critic of statements of concerns coming from EU capitals, offered his somewhat sarcastic response to the Estonian incident, saying:
“Russia escalates, we do nothing, Russia escalates more, we do nothing, Russia escalates even more, we do nothing… guys, I think I am starting to see a pattern here.”
Nato says Russian violation ‘not type of behaviour one would expect from professional air force’ as confirms details of response
Nato’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Command Operations, or SHAPE, in Belgium has offered a bit more on the Estonian incident.
It confirmed that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonia’s airspace, noting with a bit of understatement that “this is not the type of behaviour one would expect from a professional air force.”
“Nato quickly responded under Eastern Sentry, scrambling Italian F-35 fighter jets based in Estonia,” it said, adding that Sweden and Finland also scrambled their quick reaction aircraft.
It added:
“Nato’s Allied Air Command maintained a consolidated air picture and close coordination with Allies throughout the response.
“As we have stated previously, Eastern Sentry integrates air and ground-based defences and better connects existing activities like air policing into a more coherent defensive posture. That was on display today.”
Nato’s response was ‘quick and decisive,’ secretary general Rutte says after call with Estonian PM
Nato’s s secretary general Mark Rutte has just posted a social media update confirming he had a chat with the Estonian prime minister about the Russian violation of the Estonian airspace earlier today.
“Nato’s response under Eastern Sentry was quick and decisive,” he says.
UK condemns ‘another reckless incursion into Nato airspace by Russia’
Meanwhile, UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper also expressed the country’s solidarity with Estonia condemning “another reckless incursion into Nato airspace by Russia.”
“We must continue to increase pressure on Putin, including driving forward the important new economic sanctions announced by the UK & EU in recent days,” she said.
Estonia requests Nato Article 4 consultations — snap analysis
Jakub Krupa
This is the ninth time the Nato Article 4 procedure is getting triggered in the alliance’s history since 1949 – and the second in just over a week.
The procedure says that:
“The Parties 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.”
It was last triggered by Poland earlier this month after Russian drones incursion into its airspace, and previously by a group of countries in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
It’s a clear sign that Estonia sees the incident as a direct threat to its security, and of growing regional concerns about Russia’s increasingly aggressive posture and provocations.
Estonia requests Nato Article 4 consultation over Russian fighter jets incident
Estonia has formally requested a Nato Article 4 consultation over the Russian violation of its airspace earlier today, the country’s prime minister Kristen Michal said.
In a post on X, he confirmed that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace, and were confronted by Nato fighters, before they were “forced to flee.”
“Such violation is totally unacceptable,” Michal said.
