A Russian Su-35 flies over the Bering Sea on Feb. 18, 2025. Portuguese air force F-16s deployed to Amari Air Base in Estonia for NATO’s air policing mission in the Baltics were scrambled May 13 to identify a Russian Su-35 that violated Estonian airspace, the country's defense ministry said. (Defense Department)
A Russian warplane violated Estonian airspace this week, prompting NATO to scramble its air policing fighters in response, defense officials from the Baltic country said.
The incident involving a Su-35 fighter occurred as U.S. and allied troops carry out large-scale military drills in Estonia.
The incursion happened Tuesday near the Juminda Peninsula in the Gulf of Finland, the Estonian Defense Ministry said Wednesday, adding that the Russian jet was flying with its transponders off and disregarding radio contact.
Portuguese air force F-16s deployed to Amari Air Base in Estonia scrambled to identify the Russian jet, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, Estonia is hosting Exercise Hedgehog, which runs through next week and includes U.S. forces. The exercise is focused on defensive multidomain operations, according to NATO.
A Portuguese air force F-16 Fighting Falcon flies over the coast of Greece on Oct. 4, 2024. Portuguese F-16s deployed to Amari Air Base in Estonia for NATO’s air policing mission in the Baltics were scrambled May 13, 2025, after a Russian Su-35 fighter violated Estonian airspace, the country's defense ministry said. (Emili Koonce/U.S. Air Force)
Estonian officials said the airspace violation coincided with a separate incident Tuesday in the Gulf of Finland with an oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet, a network of vessels designed to avoid international sanction.
Estonia’s foreign minster, Margus Tsahkna, elaborated on the situation on the sidelines of a NATO meeting Thursday in Turkey, saying that Russia had sent a fighter to observe as Estonia’s navy attempted to detain an oil tanker headed to Russia.
“The Russian Federation sent a fighter jet to check the situation, and this fighter jet violated NATO territory for close to one minute,” Tsahkna told reporters.
Tsahkna, said Thursday that Russia has “clearly tied itself to the shadow fleet” and that allies should be motivated to impose tougher sanctions.
While NATO frequently scrambles jets to intercept Russian planes approaching alliance territory, airspace violations are relatively rare by comparison. In 2022, Estonia accused a Russian Mi-8 attack helicopter of violating its airspace.
Tensions in the Baltics are running high over concerns about acts of suspected Russian sabotage involving the damaging of undersea communication cables and energy pipelines.
NATO has stepped up its presence in the Baltic Sea in response, with more naval surveillance drones, warships, submarines and aircraft monitoring activities.
