Kremlin slams Estonia's claims about Russian MiG-31 jets as 'baseless'
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Russia denies allegations of airspace violations near Vaindloo Island as Estonia invokes NATO Article 4.
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In this photo provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022. A MiG-31 fighter of the Russian air force takes off at an air base during military drills in the Tver region, Russia (AP)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called Estonian authorities' claims about Russian MiG-31 fighters violating their airspace entirely unfounded, emphasizing during a news briefing that Russia’s Defense Ministry has firmly denied these assertions.
"Our military officials referred to objective monitoring systems, while we have not received any credible data from Estonia supporting these claims," Peskov stated, describing the Estonian statements as baseless and exposing a reckless approach intended to escalate tensions.
"Such rhetoric only serves to heighten hostility and foster a confrontational environment, which is deeply concerning," Peskov added.
The Kremlin spokesperson emphasized that this is not a new development in the foreign policy posture of Estonia and the Baltic states, stating, "We observe this pattern continuously, but unfortunately, the situation has now escalated further, leading to increased regional tensions."
Peskov additionally dismissed claims of airspace violations by other nations as baseless, stating, "We consider such words empty, baseless, and a continuation of the utterly blatant policy of escalating tensions and provoking a confrontational atmosphere."
He added that the Russian Defense Ministry categorically denied Estonia's accusations of airspace violation, stating that their military acts strictly within the framework of international regulations concerning flights.
Tensions rise after Estonia claims its airspace was violated
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced earlier that Tallinn had invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty to request consultations with NATO allies regarding the alleged intrusion of Russian fighter jets into Estonian airspace.
On September 19, Estonia claimed that three Russian MiG-31 jets violated its airspace near Vaindloo Island, a claim that NATO echoed by stating the Russian jets had entered Estonian airspace, with the alliance immediately responding to intercept the aircraft. The Polish Border Guard claimed that two Russian fighter jets carried out a low-altitude flyover of the Petrobaltic oil platform in the Baltic Sea, though they provided no evidence to support the allegation.
The Russian Ministry of Defense denied that its fighter jets had violated Estonian airspace, stating that the three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets were conducting a planned flight from the Karelia region to an airfield in the Kaliningrad region and did not violate Estonian airspace.
“During the flight, Russian aircraft did not deviate from the designated route and did not violate Estonian airspace. The flight path remained more than three kilometers away from Vaindloo Island, over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea,” the Russian Ministry of Defense stated.
