"Twelve minutes. It doesn't seem so long, but compared to the minute or two Russian fighter jets have previously lingered in NATO airspace, this extended intrusion Friday night was enough for Estonian leaders to sound the alarm at NATO headquarters in Brussels and all the way to the United Nations Security Council. MARKO MIHKELSON: This was the most serious violation of our airspace since 2003. SCHULTZ: That's Marko Mihkelson, head of the Estonian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee."
"MIHKELSON: We have to make sure that Russians will understand that this is not excluded. The use of force is not excluded if this is going to be repeated. SCHULTZ: Moscow denies entering Estonian air space. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, meanwhile, says the Finnish, Swedish and Italian jets that scrambled to escort out the Russian planes were prepared to shoot them down if they had endangered the population."
Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace and remained inside for about twelve minutes, a longer intrusion than previous one-to-two-minute incursions. Estonian leaders called emergency parliamentary and government meetings and alerted NATO and the United Nations Security Council. Marko Mihkelson described the event as the most serious airspace violation since 2003 and said the use of force should not be excluded if such incidents repeat. Moscow denies the incursion. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said Finnish, Swedish and Italian jets scrambled to escort the aircraft and were prepared to shoot them down if they endangered the population. Kristi Raik urged NATO to make a clearer deterrent message to the Kremlin.
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