Russian Military Jets

Ava Cai

September 19, 2025

Early on Friday, the Estonian government reported three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets flying over the Gulf of Finland, violating Estonian airspace. The three aircraft hovered near and around Vaindloo Island for 12 minutes, in which NATO has “responded immediately and intercepted the Russian aircraft,” according to a NATO representative. 

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, spoke on this immediately after being informed, saying that this violation without permission “could be big trouble.” In response, Russia’s military responded with a statement that said the military jets did not violate airspace: “During the flight, the Russian aircraft did not deviate from the agreed air route and did not violate Estonian airspace. The flight route of the aircraft passed over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea basin at a distance of more than three kilometers from the island of Vaindlo.” 

However, Margus Tsahkna, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, says that this isn’t the first time Russia has trespassed Estonian territory — Russia’s jets have flown over unscheduled four times in one year. He urges that the country’s growing aggression on the borders must be checked by even stronger political retaliation. 

Estonia is not the only NATO country experiencing Russia’s bold military movements. Recently, Romania reported a Russian drone going through its airspace on its way to Ukraine. Poland shared a similar experience last week, reporting more than a dozen drones from Russia violating their airspace. 

As a result of the Friday incident, Estonia has requested that NATO consider Article 4 of the alliance’s treaty, which requires the North Atlantic Council to bring discussion to “the territorial integrity, political independence or security” of a state under such circumstances as Estonia. The committee is said to convene the following week. 

Yvette Cooper, the Foreign Secretary of State for the United Kingdom, stated that the UK stands in support “with our Estonian allies.” Likewise, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Russia’s actions “unacceptable,” adding that “this is not a coincidence.” 

The Brutus Journal will follow this story with further updates.