Estonia Demands UN Security Council Action After Russian Airspace Violation

Estonia has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council after three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated its airspace, marking the first time in 34 years of UN membership that Tallinn has formally requested such a session.

The Gaze reports this, referring to Estonia’s Ministry of Defence.

The Council is set to convene on Monday, September 22, at 10:00 a.m. New York time, following what Estonia described as a “brazen” breach of its sovereignty on September 19, when Russian aircraft entered its airspace for nearly 12 minutes.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the incursion violated both Estonia’s territorial integrity and the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force. 

“By flagrantly violating our airspace, Russia undermines principles that safeguard the security of all UN members. Such conduct is incompatible with the responsibilities of a permanent Security Council member and would be unacceptable from any state,” he stressed.

Tsahkna added that the episode was part of a wider Kremlin strategy to test the resilience of NATO and Europe, citing recent Russian incursions into the airspace of Poland and Romania. “All these cases form part of a broader pattern of escalation that demands an international response,” he said.

Estonian defense officials later released a map of the jets’ flight path, while Russia’s defense ministry claimed the planes acted “in strict accordance with international airspace rules” and denied crossing any borders.

As The Gaze previously informed, on September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace for several minutes, provoking a sharp reaction from Tallinn and Brussels. In general, Estonia has reported over 40 violations of its airspace by Russian aircraft since 2014.