Estonia / 2026-03-18-ee-1
airspace incident: Gulf of Finland near Vaindloo Island (2026-03-18)
/ date of the event
What happened
The Estonian Defence Forces said a Russian Su-30 fighter violated Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland near the island of Vaindloo. The aircraft had no published flight plan and kept no radio contact with air traffic control; Italian fighters were scrambled, and the Estonian foreign ministry handed a note of protest to a representative of the Russian embassy.
The word "Russian" in this description comes from the source's account of where the object was made or what type it is. It is not a finding about who sent it or on whose orders. This record carries no assessment of responsibility: see the attribution band below.
Responsibility and limits of the evidence
not assessed
Nobody has yet assessed responsibility for this record. Not assessed is not the same as not established.
Impact
- killed
- not established
- injured
- not established
- damage
- not established
Sources
- Naruszenia przestrzeni powietrznej nieobjętej działaniami wojennymi podczas wojny rosyjsko-ukraińskiej
pl.wikipedia.org / secondary source
supports: the record
- Violations of non-combatant airspace during the Russo-Ukrainian war (2022-present)
en.wikipedia.org / secondary source
supports: the record