Estonia has accused Russia of violating its airspace for the first time by helicopter, in a very provocative move ahead of a major NATO summit.
The Baltic state, a member of the NATO alliance, also said that Russia’s ongoing military exercises are simulating missile attacks on its country on a daily basis.
“This is the image of the threat. As we see the Russian threat … It has never been as serious as it is now,” Kusti Salm, Estonia’s top defense ministry official, told reporters on Tuesday.
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Hostile activity has arisen when Russia is locked in a heated exchange with Lithuania, another Baltic state and a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin’s regime, over Vilnius’ decision to block rail traffic on certain goods sanctioned on Russian territory in Kaliningrad. .
It also came just days before the heads of state and government of the NATO alliance of 30 people met for a historic summit in Madrid, where they will prepare to present plans for a fundamental remodeling of their defenses in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Estonia has said it has summoned the Russian ambassador to Tallinn to protest the flight path of the MI-8 border guard helicopter, which said it had entered Estonian airspace for two minutes without permission on Saturday. evening.
The incident took place in the southern part of Koidula, not far from the Russian city of Pskov, according to a statement from the Estonian army.
Salm said there had been “multiple border violations by helicopters” from Russia over the past week.
He said one helicopter had crossed the border, while another flew very close. He described these helicopter incidents as having occurred “several times in the region”.
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2:28 February: British troops stationed in Estonia
A senior Estonian official said: “Crossing the border by helicopter cannot be a mistake: there have been many examples in recent days.
“Alongside border actions, there have been acts of provocation flying very close to the border in recent days.”
Russia is also conducting military exercises that include simulating missile attacks on its Baltic neighbor.
“It’s real life. They’re actually simulating missile attacks on NATO territory and letting us know they’re doing it,” Salm said.