"It wasn't the first, second or even third time this year that Estonia has seen its airspace violated by Russian fighter jets. But what happened on September 19 was different, and Estonian lawmaker Marko Mihkelson said this incursion crossed a line. "Next time, we're doing that if you know what I mean," Mihkelson, head of the Estonian parliament's foreign affairs committee, posted on X, referring to 2015, when Turkey shot down a Russian bomber that had briefly strayed into its airspace."
"The plane had flown above Turkey for just 17 seconds. But, on September 19, Mihkelson described "deliberate flying for 12 minutes" above Estonia before Finnish, Italian and Swedish jets, operating under NATO's new "Eastern Sentry" mission, escorted three Russian MiG-31s back to their own side. He said it was the most serious Russian violation of Estonia's airspace since 2003, half a year before the Baltic nation joined NATO, which was then interpreted as a clear attempt to try to intimidate Tallinn into changing course."
"However, that doesn't mean NATO would decide to adopt such a strategy. More force needed? Poland on Monday positioned itself on the side of firm action in the future. "I want to be very clear, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. "We will make a decision to shoot down flying objects without discussion when they violate our territory and fly over Poland. There is no room for debate here.""
Estonia has experienced multiple airspace violations by Russian fighter jets this year, with a September 19 incident involving deliberate flying above Estonia for 12 minutes. Finnish, Italian and Swedish jets under NATO's "Eastern Sentry" mission escorted three Russian MiG-31s back across the border. Lawmaker Marko Mihkelson referenced Turkey's 2015 shootdown of a Russian bomber and urged an assertive response. Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said NATO pilots have authority to down intruders if population danger existed, though NATO may not adopt that strategy. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed to shoot down objects violating Polish airspace. Estonia invoked NATO Article 4.
Read at www.dw.com
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