Russia jet incursion heightens Estonia-NATO tensions
A Russian fighter jet violated Estonian airspace. The incident occurred when the Estonian authorities attempted to detain a tanker belonging to the so-called shadow fleet. "The situation is really serious," said the head of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by the Reuters agency.
What you need to know
- A Russian fighter jet violated Estonia's airspace, a NATO member, which has been considered a serious incident by the Estonian authorities.
- The tanker "Jaguar", sailing under the Gabon flag, was detained by the Estonian navy on the grounds of sanctions, suspected of operating for the Russian shadow fleet.
- Footage from the incident shows the presence of Estonian and unidentified military aircraft near the tanker, further highlighting the tense situation.
The Russian fighter jet was in NATO airspace for roughly one minute. The Estonian Foreign Minister deemed the incident "really serious."
As reported by the Estonian navy, on Tuesday, it attempted to detain the tanker "Jaguar" en route to Russia due to sanctions. The vessel was believed to be illegally sailing under the Gabon flag, and was actually setting a course for the Russian shadow fleet.
Footage from the tanker
Footage has appeared online from the tanker, whose identification number matches that of "Jaguar." On Thursday, "Jaguar" anchored near the Russian port of Primorsk.
The video shows an A139 helicopter and an M-28 Skytruck plane of the Estonian army, circling near the vessel. A military aircraft that Estonia does not operate was also seen nearby, reports the Reuters agency.
Also visible is one of the Estonian navy's patrol vessels, sailing in close proximity to the tanker.
