Russian Air Force violated Estonian airspace
Tallinn has accused Russia of violating its airspace. According to the country's Defense Ministry, a Russian Antonov An-72 military transport plane breached Estonian airspace for less than a minute on Thursday. The incident occured near Vaindloo island, off the country’s northern coast on the Baltic Sea.
According the its flight plan, the An-72 was supposed to stay in international airspace, though it flew over Estonian territory without attempting to contact Estonian dispatchers.
The Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian ambassador and submitted a formal note of protest.
The violation of airspace comes less than a month after Turkey shot down a Russian Su-24 bomber over the Turkish-Syrian border.
Moscow has faced criticism over the Russian Air Force's increased violation of airspace, including frequent cases involving the nuclear-capable Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers.