NATO allies accussed Russia at the United Nations of violating the alliance’s airspace in Estonia and Poland, actions that British officials warned could escalate into armed conflict.

Speaking at a meeting of the UN Security Council, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated, “Your reckless actions risk direct armed confrontation between NATO and Russia. Our alliance is defensive, but be under no illusion, we stand ready to defend NATO’s skies and territory”.

Cooper’s remarks followed an incident where three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets reportedly entered Estonian airspace without permission, remaining for 12 minutes before being forced to withdraw.

Western officials indicated that this maneuver was an attempt to test NATO’s readiness. Just over a weak prior, more than 20 Russian drones had entered Polish airspace, leading NATO jets to intercept some of them.

The security council convened to address the escalating situation, with NATO consultations planned for Tuesday. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas supported Cooper’s position, asserting that the repeated incidents could not be dismissed as accidental.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for a robust response to Russia’s actions, proposing the integration of Ukraine’s air defenses with those of neighboring Western countries. He emphasised that any threat should be neutralised immediately.

He further stated, “a strong response means that a threat should not be escorted, neither for 12 minutes nor for one minute”.

The United States’ new UN envoy, Michael Waltz, reiterated that commitment to defend NATO territory, stating “The United States and our allies will defend every inch of NATO territory”.

In response, Russia’s deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmytry Polyanskiy denied the accusations and criticised European powers for what he termed baseless claims. He expressed a willingness to engage in serious discussions about European security if approached.