Sukhoi Su-35 from Russia breaches Estonian airspace
A Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet from Russia flew into Estonian airspace without permission. Estonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna described it as “not acceptable in any way.”
The Sukhoi Su-35 breached the airspace above the Juminda Peninsula area in the Gulf of Finland, flying inside the country for under a minute, according to a press release from the country’s defence forces. No flight plan was filed and the plane’s transponders were switched off. The pilot failed to maintain two-way communication with Estonian air traffic controllers, it said.
Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighter responded to the incident, conducting reconnaissance flights as part of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed a diplomatic note to the Russian embassy.
“From Estonia’s perspective, this is a very serious and regrettable incident, which is not acceptable in any way,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna said in a statement.
Estonia’s Navy escorted a suspected “shadow fleet” tanker travelling to St Petersburg and media in both Russia and Poland suggested that the incidents could be connected. The incident with the Sukhoi Su-35 happened as Estonia conducted its largest military exercise of the year, Exercise Hedgehog, which includes over 16,000 troops from Estonia and allied nations.
This marks the first reported breach of Estonian airspace for a number of years. From 2014 to 2023, multiple violations were reported every year. Russian fighter jets were reportedly flying without prefiling flight plans, had turned transponders off, and failed to contact authorities in Estonia.
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