Russia Denies Estonian airspace Claims, Accuses Tallinn of Escalating Tensions
Russia has vehemently denied allegations that its military jets violated Estonian airspace last week, asserting that Estonia has presented no evidence to support its claims. The denial comes amid growing concerns about the potential for moscow’s war in Ukraine to extend to neighboring European countries.
Responding to Estonia’s accusation on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused the Baltic nation of fabricating the claims. “We never heard in the Estonian statement that they have objective monitoring data [to back up their claim],” Peskov told reporters. “That is why we consider such words to be empty, unfounded and a continuation of a wholly reckless pattern of escalating tensions and provoking a confrontational atmosphere,” he added.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also maintained that its pilots operated in full compliance with international law, according to Peskov.
On Friday, Estonia, a NATO member, reported that three russian MiG-31 jets had entered its airspace for 12 minutes before departing. this incident followed a previous event on September 10th, when 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace and were intercepted by NATO jets.
These incidents have heightened anxieties across Europe, particularly in countries bordering Russia and Ukraine. The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to discuss the Estonian airspace incursion later on Monday.
NATO representatives are also set to meet on Tuesday to discuss the situation and perhaps invoke Article 4 of the alliance’s charter. Article 4 calls for consultations among member states if any party perceives a threat to their “territorial integrity, political independence, or security.” This would be the third invocation of Article 4 since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, and the ninth time overall in NATO’s 79-year history.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk affirmed on Monday that Warsaw would not hesitate to intercept and potentially shoot down any objects violating its airspace. “We will take the decision to shoot down flying objects when they violate our territory and fly over Poland – there is absolutely no discussion about that,” tusk stated at a news conference.
Tho, tusk also expressed caution, noting the need to consider the potential for escalation and ensure Poland would not be isolated in the event of a wider conflict. “When we’re dealing with situations that aren’t entirely clear… you really need to think twice before deciding on actions that could trigger a very acute phase of conflict,” he said.
