Top U.S. general: Russia’s airspace violation of Estonia likely accidental
global.espreso.tv
Tue, 23 Sep 2025 22:00:00 +0300

CNN reports.NATO allies convened in Brussels on Tuesday to address Russia’s violation of Estonian airspace last week, with senior officials assessing the incident as likely accidental yet emblematic of Moscow’s increasingly dangerous conduct.According to two people familiar with the discussions, U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s top military commander in Europe, told the alliance’s North Atlantic Council that Russian pilots are often inexperienced and poorly trained. Combined with heavy cloud cover, this likely prevented them from seeing the ground during the incursion, Grynkewich and NATO intelligence officials said.Read also Russian aircraft ignored NATO signals during Estonia airspace breachRussia has denied its aircraft entered Estonian airspace. A spokesman for Grynkewich, Col. Martin O’Donnell, declined to comment on the closed-door session but previously said in a statement that the incursion “is not the type of behavior one would expect from a professional air force.”Estonia, which requested the meeting, and Poland argued that regardless of Russia’s intent, repeated violations of NATO airspace in recent weeks point to a heightened willingness by Moscow to provoke the alliance.Earlier this month, Russia launched up to 21 drones toward Poland, some of which were intercepted by NATO fighter jets. According to CNN, preliminary assessments suggested the drones were intended for targets in Ukraine but were diverted by Ukrainian jamming. Intelligence reviews are ongoing.
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