: NATO member Estonia's airspace was violated by three Russian military jets on Friday (September 19), its government said, amid an increasingly tense atmosphere on the alliance's eastern flank.

The incident comes just over a week after more than 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace on the night of September 9-10, prompting NATO jets to down some of them and Western officials to say Russia was testing the alliance's readiness and resolve.

Tallinn said on Friday the three MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission and stayed there for a total of 12 minutes.

"Russia has violated Estonian airspace four times already this year, which is unacceptable in itself, but today's violation, during which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen," said Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.

"Russia's ever-increasing testing of borders and aggressiveness must be responded to by rapidly strengthening political and economic pressure."

Estonia said it had made a protest to the top Russian diplomat in the country.

A staunch supporter of Ukraine, Tallinn said in May that Moscow had briefly sent a fighter jet into NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea during an attempt to stop a Russian-bound oil tanker thought to be part of a "shadow fleet" defying Western sanctions on Moscow.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: INTERNET (SEPTEMBER 19, 2025) (ESTONIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY HANDOUT - Access all) (MUTE)

1. VARIOUS OF SCREENSHOTS OF STATEMENT ON ESTONIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY WEBSITE TALKING ABOUT INCIDENT

INTERNET (SEPTEMBER 19, 2025) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - Access all) (MUTE)

2. SCREENSHOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM ESTONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MARGUS TSAHKNA, ON X, READING (English):

"Today @MFAestonia summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires over another violation of Estonia’s airspace, when three Russian MiG-31s entered our airspace over the Gulf of Finland for 12 minutes. This is an unprecedented and brazen intrusion — clear proof of Russia’s growing aggression. Such actions cannot be tolerated and must be met with swift political and economic pressure."

3. SCREENSHOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM EUROPEAN UNION POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, ON X, READING (English):

"Today's violation of Estonia's airspace by Russian military aircraft is an extremely dangerous provocation. This marks the third such violation of EU airspace in days and further escalates tensions in the region. The EU stands in full solidarity with Estonia (1/2)."

4. SCREENSHOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POST FROM EUROPEAN UNION POLICY CHIEF, KAJA KALLAS, ON X, READING (English):

"I am in close contact with the Estonian government. We will continue to support our member states in strengthening their defences with European resources. Putin is testing the West's resolve. We must not show weakness. (2/2)"

INTERNET (SEPTEMBER 19, 2025) (GOOGLE - No resales/ no archive/ News use only/ Must on-screen courtesy Google) (MUTE)

5. VARIOUS OF SCREENSHOTS OF GOOGLE MAPS SHOWING VAINDLOO ISLAND

GIVEN AS KALININGRAD REGION, RUSSIA (FILE - RELEASED AUGUST 18, 2022) (RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTRY - Access all)

6. VARIOUS OF MIG-31 FIGHTER JETS LANDING AT AIRFIELD