Main image: This September 19, 2025 Hand Out image released by the Swedish Airforce shows a Russian MIG-31 fighter jet flying above the Baltic sea after violating Estonian air space. Three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland on Friday, Estonia said, triggering complaints of a dangerous new provocation from the EU and NATO. (HANDOUT/AFP via Getty Images)
The spokesperson for the Christian Democratic Union in the Bundestag on foreign policy, Jürgen Hardt, called for strict measures if Russian fighter jets appear over NATO territories, up to and including their destruction. In an interview with RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), he commented on the incident on September 20, when three MiG-31 fighters were in Estonian airspace for about 12 minutes.
“Only a clear signal to Russia that any military violation of the border will be met with military measures. Up to shooting down Russian fighters over NATO territory,” Hardt said.
In response to this incident, Estonia invoked Article 4 of the NATO Charter and requested consultations with allies regarding the security threat. Article 4 provides for consultations between alliance members when one of them believes its territorial integrity, political independence, or security is under threat.
Similar calls were previously made by other European politicians. Lithuania’s Defense Minister Dovile Šakalienė, commenting on the violation, stressed the need to shoot down targets that violate NATO airspace, recalling the precedent of Turkish forces shooting down a Russian Su-24 in 2015.
“NATO’s northeastern border is being tested for a reason. We need to be serious,” she said, noting that it provides “some food for thought” in light of recent incidents.
Czech President Petr Pavel also spoke in favor of a firm response to violations: according to him, shooting down an aircraft that intrudes into NATO airspace is an “appropriate” step that will make Moscow understand it crossed a line.
“Unfortunately, this is a matter of balancing on the edge of conflict, but we simply cannot retreat in the face of evil. Russia will act according to what we allow it,” Pavel said
