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Estonia summons top Russian diplomat after helicopter violates Estonian airspace

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Estonia summons top Russian diplomat after helicopter violates Estonian airspace
Illustrative image: A Russian Mi-8 military helicopter flies over a joint Russian and Turkish convoy (not pictured) as it patrols oil fields near the town of al-Qahtaniyah, Syria, on Feb. 4, 2021. (Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images)

Estonia summoned the Russian charge d’affaires at Moscow's embassy in Tallinn on Sept. 8 after a Russian MI-8 helicopter violated Estonian airspace over the Baltic Sea, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on X.

The incident, which Tsahkna said was the third of its kind in 2025, occurred near Vaindloo Island, located approximately 28 km north of Estonia's mainland in the Gulf of Finland.

The airspace violation lasted about four minutes on Sept. 7, according to the press service of Estonia's Defence Forces. The helicopter had neither its transponder turned on nor a flight plan.

The incident adds to a series of aerial provocations reported by NATO allies since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as Moscow is suspected of using the aircraft to spy on the alliance's positions.

Russian aircraft often fly without using transponders, failing to file flight plans, and do not establish contact with regional air traffic control — a pattern that NATO officials have long described as high-risk behavior.

European allies have repeatedly warned that Russia's ongoing aerial provocations could lead to a dangerous escalation if not firmly countered.

In previous incidents, Russian aircraft have taken off from Kaliningrad, headed west toward international airspace near Poland, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark.

In addition to the flights, Russian sabotage efforts have escalated drastically in the Baltic Sea region since the outbreak of full-scale war in 2022. Russia 'shadow fleet' vessels have been suspected of deliberately damaging undersea power cables as a means of disruption on the European continent.

EU considers new sanctions on Russian banks, oil trade, Bloomberg reports
The EU has dispatched a delegation to Washington to discuss potential new restrictions with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who, despite repeated threats, has yet to impose additional sanctions on Russia.
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Dmytro Basmat

Senior News Editor

Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.

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