Free Republic

Estonia has requested a consultation with other Nato members after Russian warplanes violated its airspace on Friday. Estonia's foreign ministry condemned the incursion as "brazen". It said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered the Estonian skies "without permission and remained there for a total of 12 minutes" over the Gulf of Finland. A Nato spokesperson said the military alliance "responded immediately and intercepted the Russian aircraft", calling it "yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour and Nato's ability to respond". Italian jets responded to the incursion under Nato's mission to bolster its eastern flank, while Finland and Sweden also scrambled...

Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets lingered in NATO-member Estonia's airspace for several minutes on Friday, according to Estonian authorities. Italian F-35s responded. Estonia's Prime Minister Kristen Michal said on Friday evening that the government has requested NATO Article 4 consultations with the alliance's allies following an airspace violation by Russian jets. "This morning, 3 Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace. NATO fighters responded, and the Russian planes were forced to flee," Michal wrote in a post on X. "Such violation is totally unacceptable." Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the jets entered Estonian airspace and lingered over the Gulf of...