Russian IL-96 aircraft violated Estonian airspace near Weindlo Island on the morning of May 7. The aircraft stayed in the Estonian airspace for one minute, according to the report of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces.
While the aircraft had its transponder switched on and squawking, its crew did not maintain radio contact with Estonian air traffic control, nor had they filed a flight plan ahead of the flight, which occurred close to the uninhabited island of Vaindloo, in the Gulf of Finland.
"The aircraft's transponder was turned, but the aircraft did not have a flight plan and at the time of violation of the air border there was no bilateral radio communication with the Estonian Air Traffic Service,"the message reads.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Estonia Alexander Petrov to protest and present a note on the violation of Estonian airspace yesterday.
Estonia considers this a very regrettable and serious incident, and repeated series of violations of this kind is completely unacceptable, a statement from the ministry said.
Russian military overflights in the Gulf of Finland often fly close to or as in this case inside Estonian airspace – this was the third such violation this year so far.
It should be noted that Weindlo is a small island in the Gulf of Finland, 25 kilometers from the Estonian coast, which is used by border guards only and is unavailable for civil society.