Estonia accuses Russia of violating its airspace
Tallinn accused Moscow once again of violating its airspace. On Tuesday, September 6th. This was reported by the press service of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces.
According to the Estonian military, an AN-72 aircraft of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation flew into the air space of Estonia without the permission on the evening of September 5th. The plane’s transponder was turned on but the flight plan was not submitted in advance. The plane did not communicate with Estonian air traffic control. The aircraft violated Estonian airspace for about a minute and a half.
In connection with the incident, the Russian Ambassador, Alexander Petrov, was summoned to the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 6th, and handed a protest note. N-TV news channel clarified that this is Russia’s fourth violation of Estonian airspace since the start of the year.
Russian Defense Ministry representative Major-General Igor Konashenkov has denied the accusations of Estonia. According to him, the aircraft of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation did not violate Estonian airspace at all. "Russian AN-72 aircraft weren't flying in the specified area last night," Interfax quoted Konashenkov as saying.