Estonia is Ready to Shoot Down Russian Aircraft if Threatened

Estonia is ready to shoot down Russian aircraft in case of a threat from the air over the country’s territory, the Estonian Foreign Minister said.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that the country is ready to shoot down Russian planes if they pose a threat, he said during a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

“We have all the protocols and capabilities. Estonia has been a part of NATO for over 20 years. The alliance is ready to defend its territory,” Tsakhkna emphasized.

He added that he expects more deployment of weapons and better coordination between the allies in case of airspace violations.

The minister emphasized that Russian aircraft have repeatedly violated Estonian borders, so the country must be ready to take decisive action.

In addition, Margus Tsakhkna said that Estonia is providing Ukraine with €150,000 to support the energy system.

Earlier, the country had already allocated about €700 thousand to help the Ukrainian energy sector.

The minister noted that Tallinn will continue to support Ukraine in rebuilding its energy infrastructure after the Russian strikes.

On September 19, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recorded the intrusion of three Russian MiG-31 fighters into Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland.

The violation lasted about 12 minutes, making it one of the most serious incidents in recent years.