Estonia summons Russian representative after violation of the country's airspace

The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed a note of protest to the Russian Charge d'Affaires after a Russian helicopter violated Estonian airspace. About this reported head of the Department, Margus Tsahkna.

"Today, we summoned the chargé d’affaires of Russia’s Embassy to deliver a protest note after a Russian MI-8 helicopter violated Estonian airspace near Vaindloo Island," the official wrote.

Tsakhna reminded that this is the third such incident in 2025, which is a serious violation of international law.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of Sunday, September 7: the Russian helicopter had no flight plan and was flying with its transponder turned off, reports public broadcaster ERR citing a statement by the General Staff of the Estonia.

The media reports that the helicopter stayed in Estonian airspace for about four minutes.

Vaindloo is an island in the Gulf of Finland that belongs to Estonia:

• In late August, Lithuania closed the airspace along part of the border with Belarus amid incidents of drone infiltration and the approach of the Russian-Belarusian West-2025 exercise.
• Russian Federation from time to time violates NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea.