The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss Russian invasions over Estonia’s airspace, Estonia and UN authorities said on Sunday.
Estonia requested an emergency meeting on Friday after three Russian MIG-31 fighter jets entered the aircraft in airspace in the Gulf of Finland without permission. According to a spokesman for the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Alliance, the Jets remained for 12 minutes before being intercepted by NATO.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margas Tsekna said in a post on X on Sunday that Russia’s actions “undermine the principles essential to the safety of all UN members.”
“When such actions are committed by permanent members of the Security Council, they must be dealt with by the very bodies,” Tsakna wrote.
According to Estonian Foreign Ministry, the Security Council is expected to argue that the ministry has described as “a blatant, reckless, fragrant violation of NATO airspace” and “a repeated violation of international law” by Russia.
The Russian Ministry of Defense denied that the jet had entered Estonian airspace and claimed that the flight was carried out “in accordance with international regulations.”
Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, said the emergency meeting is scheduled for 10am on Monday.
Ukraine also submitted a request to attend a Security Council meeting and present its position. The request is directed towards South Korea and holds the council’s revolving presidency.
“For the first time in 34 years, Estonia has requested an emergency meeting at UNSC,” Ukrainian Deputy Minister Andri Sibiha wrote about X.
Following the airspace violation, Estonia requested consultations on Article 4 of NATO. This is a mechanism that allows members to formally pose problems for the alliance’s major political decision-making bodies. A meeting is scheduled to be held this week.
Estonia is the second NATO member to request recent Article 4 consultations following Poland’s request last week after several Russian drones and fighter planes entered the airspace.
Separately, Swedish and German troops reported on Sunday that Gripen, a Swedish Jas 39, and a German Euro-expander, scrambled the South Baltic Sea to identify and monitor Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft flying in international airspace without flight plans or radio contact.
