 "<div>Nato-member Estonia accuses Russia of 'unprecedented' airspace violation by three fighter jets</div>")
NATO member Estonia’s airspace was violated by three Russian military jets on Friday, its government said, amid an increasingly tense atmosphere on the alliance’s eastern flank.
In a most brazen’ airspace violation to date, Estonia said Friday that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace without clearance.
According to Tallinn, the aircraft crossed into Estonian territory and remained there for around 12 minutes. It is the fourth such incident reported this year.
“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,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.
He added that Moscow’s growing provocations “must be responded to by rapidly strengthening political and economic pressure.”
The government said it had lodged a protest with Russia’s senior diplomat in Tallinn.
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.
The episode comes amid heightened tensions along Nato’s eastern flank. Just over a week earlier, more than 20 Russian drones flew into Polish airspace, prompting Nato aircraft to intercept some of them. Western officials described the actions as part of Russia’s attempts to test the alliance’s readiness.
In May, Estonia said a Russian jet had briefly crossed into Nato airspace over the Baltic Sea while trying to shield an oil tanker believed to be part of a “shadow fleet” circumventing sanctions on Moscow.
With inputs from agencies
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