Overview

• Estonia says three Russian MiG-31s entered its airspace over the Gulf of Finland for about 12 minutes, with no filed flight plan and transponders switched off.
• NATO confirms fighters intercepted the aircraft, with Italy’s F-35s leading the response and allied jets from Sweden and Finland also scrambled, according to officials.
• Russia’s Defence Ministry denies any violation, asserting the jets followed a planned route over international waters and stayed more than three kilometers from Estonia’s Vaindloo island.
• Tallinn summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires, requested NATO Article 4 consultations, and secured an emergency UN Security Council meeting set for Monday.
• EU leaders condemned the incident as a dangerous provocation, with the Commission urging swift approval of a 19th sanctions package as allies cite a pattern of recent incursions in Poland and Romania.