Fighters scrambled as Russian spy plane violates Estonian air space

A Russian maritime spy plane flew into Estonian territory on Tuesday in the most serious violation of Nato airspace by Moscow since the end of the cold war.

Fighters were scrambled from Lithuania – where Nato’s Baltic air policing force is stationed – and from Denmark and Sweden as the aircraft, an Ilyushin 20 “Coot”, armed with an array of high-tech surveillance and electronic warfare equipment, circled the Baltic sea.

Two military officials with knowledge of the incident said that Nato sovereign airspace had been violated.

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