NATO Warns Russia After Violation of Estonian Airspace

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has issued an unprecedentedly harsh statement addressed to the Russian Federation, after three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonia's airspace. The Alliance has warned that it is ready to use "all military and non-military tools" to protect its allies, making a direct allusion to the possibility of invoking Article 5 of the charter.

During the incident, NATO air force planes immediately took off to intercept the Russian fighters and escorted them out of Estonian territory. However, this incident is not seen as a coincidence, but as part of a chain of provocations carried out by Russia.

NATO's statement emphasizes that this is not an isolated case. Similar violations have recently been recorded in the airspace of a number of other member and partner countries of the alliance, including Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Romania.

The key message of the Alliance's statement is the reaffirmation of Article 5, which is the cornerstone of NATO's collective defense. "Russia should have no doubt: our commitment to Article 5 is unwavering," the statement says.

This means that an attack on any one member of the alliance will be considered an attack on all, leading to a corresponding military response.

NATO also clarified that such provocative actions by the Russian side will in no way affect the support provided to Ukraine.

Against the backdrop of these events, the Seimas (parliament) of Lithuania has approved legislative changes that allow the army to shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles threatening the country's airspace more promptly. A number of Eastern European countries have also announced that any object that appears on their territory will be a target.