Russian Warplanes Breach NATO Airspace Over Estonia

"The Russians have been flying this exact airspace for decades. It's difficult to see how this wasn't intentional," a U.S. official told POLITICO.

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said “this is yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour and NATO’s ability to respond.”

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the incursion as "an extremely dangerous provocation," adding that the EU "will continue to support our member states in strengthening their defences with European resources."

Estonia said it had summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Tallinn.

“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 brutal,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said. “Russia’s ever-increasing testing of borders and aggression must be responded to by rapidly strengthening political and economic pressure.”

Announcing a new round of EU sanctions on Russian energy and financial transactions on Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen deplored that in recent days "Russian drones have violated our union's airspace, both in Poland and in Romania."

"Again and again, President [Vladimir] Putin has escalated and in response, Europe is increasing its pressure," she said. "We know that our sanctions are an effective tool of economic pressure, and we will keep using them until Russia comes to the negotiating table."