European allies have warned Moscow that any further breach of NATO airspace by Russian fighter jets or drones will be met with direct military action.
The warning came during an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, requested by Estonia after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets crossed into its airspace over the Gulf of Finland last Friday.
The jets remained inside Estonian territory for 12 minutes before being intercepted by NATO forces.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a stark message, saying Moscow was courting “a direct armed confrontation between NATO and Russia.”
She stressed that NATO is defensive but ready to act decisively.
“If we need to confront planes that are operating in NATO airspace without permission, then we will do so,” Cooper said.
New U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Michael Waltz, echoed that position in his first appearance at the Council.
“The United States and its allies will defend every inch of NATO territory,” he said.
NATO also released a statement condemning Russia’s actions as part of a “wider pattern of increasingly irresponsible behavior” that risks miscalculation and threatens lives.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radosław Sikorski directly addressed the Russian delegation, accusing Moscow of pursuing “insane nationalism” and a futile attempt to rebuild its empire. He warned:
“If another missile or aircraft enters our space without permission and gets shot down don’t come here to whine about it. You have been warned.”
Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna presented radar recordings and photographs showing the Russian jets armed and combat ready.
He urged the international community to take a firm stand, calling the violation “a deliberate provocation.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas agreed, saying Russia is “testing European borders and undermining security.”
The Russian Defense Ministry has denied the incursion, insisting its flights followed international rules.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov repeated the denial, accusing Europe of escalating tensions.
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy also claimed the jets stayed in international airspace, dismissing Estonia’s evidence as “blatant lies.”
Estonia has now triggered NATO’s Article 4 consultations, which allow members to raise security concerns at the alliance’s top political decision-making body.
A meeting of the North Atlantic Council is set for Tuesday.
This marks the second such request in recent days, after Poland demanded consultations when Russian drones and jets entered its airspace last week.
Meanwhile, Swedish and German air forces scrambled jets on Sunday to monitor a Russian reconnaissance plane flying without a flight plan over the South Baltic Sea.
With tensions rising across Europe, NATO members are signaling that the next violation may not pass without deadly consequences.
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