Russian Jet Violates NATO Airspace as Putin ‘Shadow Fleet' Tanker Escorted
Estonia has accused Russia of breaching its airspace in a move that raises tensions between Moscow and NATO's Baltic State member.
The Russian Sukhoi Su-35 entered Estonia's airspace for less than a minute on Tuesday evening above the Juminda Peninsula area in the Gulf of Finland, according to the Estonian Defense Forces.
No flight plan was filed, the jet's transponders were turned off, and the pilot did not maintain two-way communication with Estonian air traffic control, the statement added.
Estonia's foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said that the incident "was no acceptable in any way."
Same evening, the Estonian Navy was escorting a suspected Russian "shadow fleet" tanker headed for Saint Petersburg, with Russian sources claiming the NATO ally's navy was 'warded off' by the combat jet.
NATO members have accused Russia of stoking tensions by the alliance's eastern flank through hybrid measures such as GPS jamming and flying close to its airspace.
This is a breaking story and will be updated shortly.
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