Overview

• Estonia says three Russian MiG-31s entered its airspace for about 12 minutes on September 19, prompting Article 4 consultations in Brussels on Tuesday.
• At a UN Security Council session, US ambassador Michael Waltz pledged to defend every inch of NATO territory as European ministers condemned the incident.
• Germany, 48 other countries and the EU issued a joint declaration calling the reported breach a dangerous escalation and citing a pattern that includes Poland and Romania.
• Polish leaders escalated warnings, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski saying future intruders over Poland would be shot down.
• NATO has reinforced air policing on the eastern flank, including Operation Eastern Sentry and additional German quick-reaction fighters for Poland, while Russia denies any violation.