The Russian Defense Ministry has denied Tallinn’s allegations that a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft had crossed into Estonian airspace.
“The flight was performed strictly in accordance with the international rules for the use of airspace without violating the borders of other states, as was confirmed by means of objective monitoring,” the ministry said in a statement.
On March 12 the Aerospace Forces’ Il-76 crew was on a routine flight to an airfield in the Kaliningrad region, the ministry stated.
“The overflight was carried out according to a pre-agreed itinerary with a switched-on transponder,” the statement said.
The crew was in contact with Estonian air traffic controllers, who did not make any complaint, the Russian military said.
Earlier on March 12, there were reports that an Il-76 aircraft had crossed into Estonia’s airspace near the island of Vaindloo, prompting the Estonian Foreign Ministry to summon the Russian ambassador in Tallinn.
