Estonia summons Russian envoy over "airspace violation," Moscow denies breach

MiG-31 fighters fly in formation during the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War on Red Square in Moscow, Russia, June 24, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi)

Estonia summoned Russia's charge d'affaires on Friday to protest what it said was an "airspace violation" by three Russian fighter jets, an allegation Moscow flatly denied.

TALLINN, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- Estonia summoned Russia's charge d'affaires on Friday to protest what it said was an "airspace violation" by three Russian fighter jets, an allegation Moscow flatly denied.

The Estonian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "the incursion took place over the Gulf of Finland, where three Russian Federation MIG-31 fighter aircraft entered Estonian airspace without permission and remained there for a total of 12 minutes."

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said Tallinn would seek NATO consultations under Article 4 in response to what she called Russia's provocations. Article 4 allows any NATO member to call for discussions when it perceives a threat to its territorial integrity or security.

Russia's Defense Ministry rejected the accusation, saying the aircraft were on a planned flight that "was carried out in strict compliance with international airspace regulations and did not violate the borders of other states, as confirmed by objective monitoring."