According to a report published by a British newspaper on Tuesday, NATO military leaders discussed “establishing unified guidelines to deal with Russian fighter jets carrying air-to-ground missiles, making them potential targets if they enter the airspace of alliance countries.” The report states that “military leaders in the alliance believe this matter should be related to the type of aircraft and its armament.” The newspaper notes that “while some alliance leaders call for taking a firm stance against Russia, another group fears that any such actions could lead to a direct confrontation with it.” According to the newspaper, the air defense system of alliance countries in Europe suffers from a major crisis that hinders its ability to respond to any aerial threats, and even causes conflicts in the missions of its various forces due to the lack of unified rules of engagement among all countries. This means that the air defense system of the alliance in Europe could be breached by a calculated aerial attack during wartime. The newspaper claimed that “recently, Italian F-35 fighter jets intercepted three Russian MiG jets over Estonian airspace before they departed.” It is noteworthy that Russia possesses some of the most powerful attack fighters in the world and has equipped MiG-31 fighters with Kinzhal air-to-ground missiles designed for ground assault, which have become a military nightmare for NATO countries. Additionally, this fighter jet, used by Russia, is one of the fastest warplanes in the world, with a speed of about 2.8 Mach, nearly three times the speed of sound, which is estimated at 1234 km/h, compared to the speed of F-35 fighters used by NATO countries, estimated at only 1.6 Mach. This means the speed of MiG 31 is approximately 3455 km/h, compared to the speed of F-35, which is about 1970 km/h. The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned last month that it summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires in Tallinn to deliver a protest note regarding what it claimed was a “violation of Estonian airspace by Russian MiG-31 fighters.” The ministry clarified that the flight was conducted fully in accordance with international airspace use rules, without violating the borders of any other country, as confirmed by objective monitoring means. The statement added that the Russian planes “did not deviate from the agreed air route and did not violate Estonian airspace,” noting that the flight path passed over neutral waters in the Baltic Sea, more than 3 kilometers away from the island of Vaindloo.
