Estonia summons Russian envoy after Mi-8 helicopter violates Estonian airspace
The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a formal protest with Russia after a military helicopter violated Estonian airspace on September 7, 2025.
According to Tallinn, a Russian Federation Mi-8 helicopter crossed into Estonian territory near Vaindloo Island and remained inside its airspace for around four minutes.
On September 8, Estonia summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Russian Embassy in Tallinn to present a protest and deliver an official note regarding the incident.
Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the violation as “yet another serious and regrettable incident,” noting that it was the third confirmed breach of Estonian airspace by Russian military aircraft in 2025.
Estonian officials have repeatedly raised concerns that such incursions are deliberate acts of provocation.
Previous incidents this year
The helicopter incursion follows two earlier violations this year. On May 13, 2025, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet briefly entered Estonian airspace during an operation to intercept a suspected sanctions-busting tanker, in what Tallinn called a “dangerous act of aggression.”
On June 22, 2025, a Russian Il-76 transport aircraft belonging to the Ministry of Emergency Situations entered Estonian airspace near Vaindloo Island without authorization.
Airspace violations have become a recurring point of tension in the Baltic region, with NATO allies regularly scrambling aircraft to intercept Russian fighters operating without flight plans or transponder signals. The post Estonia summons Russian envoy after Mi-8 helicopter violates Estonian airspace appeared first on AeroTime.
The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lodged a formal protest with Russia after a military helicopter violated…
The post Estonia summons Russian envoy after Mi-8 helicopter violates Estonian airspace appeared first on AeroTime.
