Russia denies violating NATO airspace, warns accusations create tension

TALLINN

This Sept. 19, 2025 Hand Out image released by the Swedish Airforce shows a Russian MIG-31 fighter jet flying above the Baltic sea after violating Estonian air space

Russia denied on Monday that its aircraft were violating NATO airspace and warned that countries making such accusations risked "escalating tensions."

"We consider such statements empty, unfounded, and a continuation of the country's utterly unstoppable policy of escalating tensions and provoking a confrontational atmosphere," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Estonia accusing Russia of airspace violations.

Estonia said Sunday the U.N. Security Council would hold an emergency meeting on the violation of the country's airspace by Russian fighter jets, an incursion condemned by U.S. President Donald Trump.

NATO forces intercepted three Russian MiG-31 fighters on Friday after they entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland, triggering complaints of a dangerous new provocation from the transatlantic alliance and the European Union, but a denial from Moscow.

The Security Council will convene an emergency session Monday "in response to Russia's brazen violation of Estonian airspace", said a statement from the Estonian foreign ministry.

The incursion came after fellow NATO member Poland said earlier this month Russian drones had repeatedly violated its airspace during an attack on Ukraine, in what Warsaw condemned as an "act of aggression".

Trump on Sunday joined the condemnation of the latest airspace violation, vowing to defend Poland and the Baltic states in case of escalation from Russia.

Asked whether he would help defend the EU members if Russia intensifies hostilities, Trump told reporters: "Yeah, I would. I would."

Trump's at-times friendly relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin have appeared to fray as the latter continues to press his invasion of Ukraine despite the U.S. leader's push for peace.

Trump said Thursday at the close of a state visit to Britain that Putin had "really let me down" by continuing the war, now in its fourth year.

  'We don't like it' 

Western powers have warned that Russia is playing with fire with its repeated ventures into NATO airspace, whose members have a mutual defense assistance pact.

In the incident in Estonian airspace, Italian F-35 fighters attached to NATO's air defense support mission in the Baltic states, along with Swedish and Finnish aircraft, were scrambled to intercept the Russian jets and warn them off.

Asked whether he had been briefed on the situation in Estonia, Trump answered in the affirmative and added: "We don't like it."

That was a change in tone from his reaction to the Polish airspace incursion earlier in the month, which he said "could have been a mistake".

Monday's meeting at the United Nations marks the first time in 34 years of Estonia's U.N. membership that the European Union and NATO member — a staunch supporter of Ukraine — has officially requested an emergency Security Council meeting.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the violation is "part of a broader pattern of escalation by Russia, both regionally and globally".

"This behaviour requires an international response," Tsahkna said.

Russia, Ukraine trade blame for deadly overnight strikes

The head of the Kremlin-backed government in annexed Crimea blamed Ukraine on Monday for a deadly drone strike, while Kiev said a Russian attack had killed two people in the country's southeast.

Sergey Aksyonov said the Ukrainian military had targeted the Crimean resort town of Foros, damaging the grounds of a sanatorium and a school building.

"According to updated data, three people were killed and 16 were wounded as a result of (the) UAV attack," Aksyonov said on Telegram.

Fragments of the downed drone also caused a fire near the coastal city of Yalta, he said.

Russia's defense ministry called the strike a "terrorist attack" and initially put the death toll at two.

Ukraine said Moscow had carried out 46 air strikes on its territory as of 10:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Sunday.

Kiev said overnight Russian strikes in the southern city of Zaporizhzhia had killed two people and wounded two others, one seriously.

Russian forces had "dropped at least five" bombs on the city, according to Ivan Fedorov, the head of the regional military administration.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 following a referendum denounced by the international community, and wants Kiev and Western countries to recognise the peninsula as part of its territory.

Ukrainian forces frequently carry out strikes on the heavily fortified region, including on a bridge connecting it to the Russian mainland.

After meeting Putin for high-profile talks last month, Trump said Ukraine would not be able to regain Crimea as part of a peace deal.

Progress towards a truce has stalled since that flurry of diplomacy, which also saw Trump hold a separate meeting with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky.