Russian pilots ignored signals when they flew into NATO airspace on Friday, a senior Estonian military official told The Associated Press.

Three MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace between 9:58 a.m. and 10:10 a.m. local time on Friday in the area of Vaindloo, an island in the Gulf of Finland, the Estonian Defense Forces said. The jets had ignored signals from Italian aircraft from NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission, the official told the AP.

The Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday denied the jets flew into Estonia's airspace, saying they stayed over neutral Baltic Sea waters. Estonian officials dismissed that, pointing to radar information and visual identification confirming the Russian jets entered the country's airspace.

Why It Matters

Tensions have risen in the Baltic

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