NATO fighter jets patrolling Baltic airspace scrambled three times in one week to identify Russian military aircraft flying between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad Oblast, with at least one reconnaissance plane operating without a radar transponder or flight plan
Two Baltic-linked bunker tankers refueled Russian oil ships hundreds of times between June 2024 and March 2025, a joint investigation shows, revealing how private firms exploit sanctions loopholes to keep Moscow’s energy exports flowing.
The incident fuels rising tensions in the Baltics, where repeated Russian airspace violations and drone activity are heightening fears of provocations near NATO borders.
Relations between Estonia and Russia have remained tense amid Moscow’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine and a series of border-related incidents across the Baltic region.