Russian violations

Russian fighter jets have violated Polish security zone

Polish border police said on Friday that two Russian fighter jets violated a security zone around the Polish oil company Petrobaltic's platform in the Baltic Sea, Reuters reports.

The statement comes after Russian fighter jets violated Estonian airspace earlier in the day.

In a post on X, the border police wrote that the fighter jets made a low flight over the platform.

Photos show Swedish action after Russian violation

Swedish Jas Gripen planes took off and marked against the Russian planes that violated Estonian airspace on Friday, Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) told SVT Nyheter.

She says that the Gripen planes met up when the Russian planes reached the Baltic Sea and then followed them back into Russian airspace.

The Swedish Armed Forces have published two photos from the operation. They show Russian MiG-31 fighter jets.

Estonia invokes NATO's Article 4 after violation

The Estonian government confirms reports that the country's airspace was violated by Russian fighter jets on Friday, Reuters reports.

It is said that three MiG-31 fighter jets flew into the airspace without permission and stayed there for twelve minutes.

The Estonian government has filed a protest with Russia's top diplomat in the country, the news agency writes.

NATO says in a statement that the Russian fighter jets were met in the air by Italian F-35 planes, writes AFP.

"NATO reacted immediately and stopped the Russian aircraft," writes Allison Hart, a spokesperson for NATO, on X.

The Estonian Prime Minister announces later in the day that NATO's Article 4 is being invoked.

NATO's Article 4 allows a member state to raise issues of interest, particularly security-related, for discussion within the alliance. This should not be confused with Article 5, which states that an attack on one NATO country is an attack on all.

Reactions to Russian violation
Lieutenant Colonel on violation: “Absolutely an escalation”

That Russian fighter jets were able to be in Estonian airspace for twelve minutes is “exceptional,” Lieutenant Colonel Johan Huovinen tells TT.

– This is absolutely an escalation compared to what we saw in Poland recently, he says.

He also notes that Russia used MiG-31s, usually based in northern Russia in the Murmansk area. TT writes that the plane is one of the fastest in the world and can carry the Kinzhal hypersonic missile.

– It is very resilient that they show that they can fly out and that they would then use Kinzhal in the Baltic Sea. Then they can make a right turn towards Poland, or towards Germany or Sweden.