September 20, 2025

On September 19, 2025, a dramatic air incident caught eyes in the skies above the Baltic Sea. Estonia, a proud NATO member, accused three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets of boldly violating its airspace for a tense 12 minutes. The Baltic region was buzzing as Estonia called the move “unprecedentedly brazen.” But Russia fired back fast and sharp. Early on September 20, the Russian Defence Ministry released a strong statement on Telegram. It insisted that its jets did NOT break any borders. "During the flight, the Russian aircraft did not deviate from the agreed flight path and did not violate Estonian airspace," the Ministry said. The jets were flying from Russia's northwest to its Baltic exclave, Kaliningrad. To back this claim, Russia explained that the MiG-31s took a route over neutral Baltic Sea waters, staying more than 3 kilometers away from Estonia’s Vaindloo island. "The flight was carried out in strict conformity with international rules governing airspace," the Russian Defence Ministry added, noting independent checks confirmed their version. This thriller in the skies unfolded just a week after a swarm of over 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace, sparking NATO jets to take action and shoot some down. The Baltic Sea region remains a hot stage of military tension between NATO and Russia. The Swedish Air Force shared images showing a Russian MiG-31 soaring above the Baltic waters. With these accusations and denials flying, the world watches closely. Is this routine military routing or a sneaky show of power? Only time will tell, but one thing's clear—the Baltic skies are no calm playground these days!

Read More at Thehindu →

Tags: Russian fighter jets, Estonian airspace, Nato, Baltic sea, Mig-31, Russia-estonia tension,