Three Russian mig-31 fighters violated Estonia’s airspace on Friday and remained almost 12 minutes in the air on an Estonia island of the Gulf of Finland, which forced NATO air patrol airplanes to intervene, according to the Ministries of Defense and Foreigners of the Baltic Country.
“On Friday morning […]three Russian mig-31 fighters entered without permission in the Air Space of Estonia, in the area of the island of Vaindloo, remaining in the Estonian airspace for almost twelve minutes, ”he said in a defense statement.
Therefore, F-35 fighters of the Italian Air Force, currently deployed at the ämari Air Base as part of the NATO Baltic Air Police Mission, “responded to the incident,” said the same ministry. Subsequently, Sweden and Finland also deployed their rapid action aircraft, as explained from the headquarters of the Allied powers in NATO Europe.
The Estonian Foreign Ministry described the “unprecedented impudence” event and sent a protest communication to Russian diplomatic representation in the country, according to the public medium err. The postime medium indicated that the fighters did not present their flight plans and had the radios off at the time of the event. Estonia has announced that before the “serious and unacceptable provocation” of Russia will invoke article 4 of the NATO Treaty. This article contemplates that the allies “will be consulted when, in the opinion of any of them, territorial integrity, political independence or the security of any of the parties was threatened.”
The NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, has confirmed this afternoon on the social network X that has maintained a conversation with Estonio Kristen Michal Prime Minister, who has been the order to invoke article 4 of the Alliance at the request of the Foreign Minister, “on the violation of the airspace” by Russia. Rutte has declared that NATO’s response has been “fast and decisive”, although without giving more details.
Subsequently, the Polish government has denounced that two Russian combat planes have flown “at low height” the Petrobaltic oil platform located in the Baltic Sea, “beyond the Polish territorial waters.” Warsovia has also reported that the two Russian airplanes have violated “the platform security zone” and “the Polish armed forces have been notified and other services.”
The Spanish Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, has pointed out in a message from the X network that “the intrusion of three Russian war planes in Estonia’s airspace is an unacceptable rape of his sovereignty.” Albares has stressed that “Spain is solidarity with Estonia” to whom he considers a “partner and ally, and reiterates the commitment to his safety.” Finally, he has ended with a message from the position before Russia’s provocations pointing: “Our answer: unity and firmness.”
“Europe supports Estonia before the last violation of our airspace by Russia”, The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen has indicated. “We will respond to each provocation with determination while investing in reinforcing the eastern flank. As the threats increase, our pressure will also do it. I call on the EU leaders to quickly approve our 19th package of sanctions [a Rusia]”He has urged.
The high representative of the European Union for foreign policy, Kaja Kallas has labeled the event “extremely dangerous provocation”, and added that “it is the third violation of this type of EU Airspace in days and further increases tensions in the region.” “The EU is fully solidarity with Estonia,” he said, and has interpreted that “Putin is testing the determination of the West”, which should not “show weakness.”
The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, has denounced in turn a “systematic campaign” of Russia against Europe, NATO and the West after the violation of Estonian airspace and has said that “requires a systemic response.” Zelenski has defended that Western nations must take important actions “both collectively and individually” against Russia and have requested sanctions against the Russian economy and reinforce the Ukrainian army.
The president of the European Council, António Costa, has also referred to what happened. “The European Union remains its firm solidarity with Estonia,” he said in X. “The rape of the Estonian Air Space by three Russian military aircraft is another unacceptable provocation,” he accused. “This highlights once again the urgent need to reinforce our eastern flank, deepen European cooperation in defense and intensify the pressure on Russia,” he insisted, to point out that the 27 will address a “collective response” at the informal meeting of the European Council of October 1.
The NATO press spokeswoman, Allison Hart, has also confirmed the facts in X and has said that they are an example “of Russian recklessness and the NATO response capacity”
The incident arrives after the demolition in the last weeks of Russian drones that had penetrated the airspace of Poland and Romania.
Source: www.eldiario.es
