Overview

• Estonia says three Russian MiG-31s entered its airspace near Vaindloo for 12 minutes on September 19, prompting a NATO scramble that included Italian F-35s.
• At a UN Security Council session requested after the incident, the new U.S. ambassador Mike Waltz pledged to defend every inch of NATO territory.
• UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper warned the actions risk a direct NATO‑Russia confrontation, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas labeled the pattern a provocation and urged a firmer response including sanctions.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the claim as unfounded, and Russia’s defense ministry said the jets were on a scheduled Karelia‑to‑Kaliningrad flight conducted in line with international law.
• Tallinn invoked NATO’s Article 4 to seek allied consultations, with the episode following earlier reports of Russian drones entering Polish airspace that triggered allied responses.