What' next for Estonia after Russian jet invasion?

Estonia has requested urgent NATO consultations under Article 4 of the alliance treaty after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace for 12 minutes on Friday, September 19, 2025.

The foray, which Estonia's foreign ministry condemned as brazen, occurred over the Gulf of Finland and prompted immediate interception by NATO aircraft from Italy, Finland, and Sweden.

Russian authorities denied the violation, claiming their jets remained over neutral waters more than two miles from Estonian territory.

A NATO spokesperson confirmed the alliance's swift interception response and revealed: "This is yet another example of reckless Russian behavior and NATO's ability to respond.”

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced the decision to seek Article 4 consultations following an emergency government meeting.

"NATO's response to any provocation must be united and strong. We consider it essential to consult with our allies to ensure shared situational awareness and to agree on our next joint steps,” Michal stated.

Estonian authorities notes the incident represents the fourth Russian airspace violation over Estonia in 2025 and follows similar breaches in Poland and Romania earlier this week.

Estonian officials characterized the action as a deliberate test of NATO's resolve amid ongoing tensions surrounding Russia's war in Ukraine.

The Russian jets entered Estonian airspace without flight plans, with transponders disabled, and without establishing radio communication with air traffic control, a pattern NATO officials describe as increasingly provocative.

Italian F-35 jets based in Estonia under NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission ultimately escorted the aircraft out of national airspace.

US President Donald Trump acknowledged the incident, telling reporters: "I don't love it. I don't like when that happens. Could be big trouble. But I'll let you know later."

The Article 4 request triggers formal consultations among all 32 NATO members to determine collective response measures.

Poland invoked the same article days earlier after Russian drones entered its airspace, prompting NATO to deploy additional fighter jets and military assets to strengthen the alliance's eastern flank.