NATO condemns Russian airspace violations

Russia has formally rejected NATO's accusation that its MiG-31 jets violated Estonian airspace on September 19. At the UN Security Council, Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy stated the three jets were on a scheduled flight from Karelia to Kaliningrad and flew over neutral Baltic Sea waters, remaining over three kilometers from Estonia's Vaindloo island. The Russian delegation accused European leaders of fabricating provocations and promoting Russophobia to drag the U.S. back into confrontation. NATO previously held an emergency meeting under Article 4 to condemn the alleged violation.