Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke with Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur on Sept. 22 after Russian fighter jets allegedly violated NATO airspace, prompting a rapid allied response.
The Pentagon said Hegseth “affirmed the Department of War stands with all NATO allies and that any incursion into NATO airspace is unacceptable.” He praised the quick reaction by European partners, calling it proof that “NATO at its best, ready and focused on their core mission.”
The Incident
On Sept. 19, Estonia accused three Russian MiG-31s of crossing into its airspace for 12 minutes, calling the intrusion “unprecedentedly brazen.” Italian F-35s stationed in the region under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission were scrambled to intercept the aircraft.
Estonia’s foreign minister demanded accountability, noting the country shares a 183-mile border with Russia and has long pushed for stronger NATO defenses in the Baltics.
NATO Response
NATO formally condemned the incursion and vowed to defend its airspace using “all necessary military and non-military means.” The alliance invoked Article 4 consultations to coordinate a collective response.
Hegseth told Pevkur he is in close consultation with the Supreme Allied Commander for Europe on next steps. The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, provided the official summary on Sept. 23.
Kremlin Reaction
The Kremlin rejected the accusations, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying, “We heard the exchanges when our planes were accused of violating Estonian airspace. However, absolutely no evidence, let alone convincing evidence, was presented.”
He also condemned NATO warnings about shooting down Russian jets, calling them “reckless, irresponsible. And, of course, dangerous in their consequences.”
Growing Pressure on NATO
The airspace breach came just weeks after NATO scrambled to intercept Russian drones in Poland and Romania, part of a broader pattern of incursions testing alliance defenses.
With tensions mounting, U.S. officials said Hegseth will maintain close monitoring of the situation and coordinate with allies to deter further violations.