NATO sees red: Russian fighter jet enters its airspace

Last Thursday, it was reported that a Russian fighter jet briefly entered Estonian airspace in what was described as an attempt to intercept a Russian oil tanker believed to be part of Moscow’s shadow fleet.

The Russian vessel, Jaguar, is currently on a British blacklist. According to the Estonian navy, when Jaguar was ordered to stop for a status and document check, it reportedly refused to comply. Commander Ivo Vark clarified that the Russian ship continued on its course towards Russian territorial waters, escorted by a patrol boat, according to L’Indépendant. The incident took place on 13 May near the island of Naissaar, off the coast of Tallinn.

When Jaguar refused to change course, it was in international waters between Finland and Estonia, said a spokesperson for the Estonian defence forces. The spokesperson also noted that a Russian fighter jet, a Sukhoi SU-35, circled the vessel. In approaching the ship, the aircraft violated international airspace.

Close contact between NATO and Estonia

On the sidelines of an Alliance meeting in Turkey, Margus Tsahkna, Estonia’s Foreign Minister, stated: "The Russian Federation sent a fighter jet to assess the situation, and the aircraft violated NATO territory for nearly a minute." He added that Moscow appeared "ready to protect the shadow fleet", describing the situation as "very serious". "NATO and Estonia are in close contact on this matter and are fully coordinating to establish exactly what happened. That’s why we are active in this region", said Alliance Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: L’Indépendant - Illustration: ©Unsplash)