Three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets breached Estonia airspace near Vaindloo Island and were intercepted by Italian F-35s operating in quick reaction alert mode from the Ämari Air Base.
Key Facts Summary
- Operation Eastern Sentry launched 12 September 2025 by NATO in response to Russian drone incursions into Poland, to strengthen defence across its eastern flank.
- On 19 September, three Russian MiG-31s entered Estonian airspace near Vaindloo Island for about 12 minutes without flight plans, transponders, or radio contact.
- Two Italian F-35s based at Ämari Air Base (Estonia) scrambled in QRA mode under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission to intercept and escort the Russian jets out.
- Estonia invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty to request consultations among member states, protesting the violation.
- Russia claims its flights were over neutral airspace on route to Kaliningrad and denies violating Estonian territory.
The incursion lasted approximately 12 minutes, during which the Russian aircraft entered Estonia without filing flight plans, kept their transponders off, and failed to respond to radio calls. NATO described this behavior as “unprecedentedly brazen.” In response, two Italian F-35A jets, drawn from the 13th Squadron of Italy’s 32nd Wing (Amendola), scrambled to escort the Russian fighters out of Estonian airspace under the alliance’s Baltic Air Policing mission.
Estonia has lodged a formal protest and invoked Article 4 of the NATO treaty, requesting consultations among allies. European and NATO officials, including leaders in Estonia, Poland, and at the EU level, condemned the Russian flights as violations of sovereign airspace and a test of NATO’s cohesion and readiness. Moscow, for its part, denied wrongdoing, stating that the flights remained over neutral waters en route to its Kaliningrad exclave.
Operation Eastern Sentry
NATO launched Operation Eastern Sentry on 12 September 2025, following intrusion of Russian drones into Poland on 9–10 September. Its goal is to bolster NATO’s readiness and deterrent posture from the Baltics down to Poland, involving multiple member states and military assets, including additional aircraft, ground-based defence systems, and naval units.
The Italian detachment in Estonia forms part of the alliance’s integrated air defence effort. It serves under permanent rapid-alert conditions to respond immediately to aerial threats.
