The incursion of Russian fighter jets into Estonian airspace did not scare either the country's authorities or NATO members. They were ready to resort to radical measures — shooting down enemy MiGs — if such a need arises. This was stated by Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.
Points of attention
- Putin's goal is to isolate Ukraine from international support by redirecting focus towards individual defense strategies, as indicated by recent provocations.
- NATO and Estonia remain confident in their ability to defend Estonian airspace with the support of allied forces, maintaining readiness to respond decisively to external threats.
NATO was ready to use force against Russia
According to Pevkur, Putin's new provocations against NATO countries are elements of his strategy, the main goal of which is to force Kyiv's allies to care only about their own defense and forget about helping Ukraine.
And when we discuss whether we should send more fighters or air defense assets here, this is exactly what Russia is seeking — so that we do not send aid to Ukraine, but mind our own business, not focusing on Ukraine, — explained the Estonian Minister of Defense.
Against this background, he drew attention to NATO's lightning-fast and clear response to the Russian fighter jet incursion.
Pevkur emphasized that the Alliance acted very effectively and successfully.
"If it is really necessary to use extreme measures, that is, force, then we were prepared for that. Thirdly, we know that we are capable of defending Estonian airspace together with our allies," the minister added.
