NATO says it has responded after Russian military jets “violated” Estonian airspace, as the Baltic state formally requested a consultation with the military bloc.

In a statement, the Estonian government said the incident involved three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets that flew near Vaindloo Island, in the Gulf of Finland, for a total of 12 minutes without permission.

A NATO spokesperson said the Russian jets “violated Estonian airspace” and “NATO responded immediately and intercepted the Russian aircraft”.

“This is yet another example of reckless Russian behaviour and NATO’s ability to respond.”

US President Donald Trump said the reported incursion “could be big trouble”.

However, a statement from the Russian military said the flight was “scheduled” and had been in “strict accordance” with airspace rules.

The statement read: “On September 19 of this year, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets made a scheduled flight from Karelia to an airfield in the Kaliningrad region.

“The flight was conducted in strict accordance with the International Rules for the Use of Airspace, without violating the borders of other states, as confirmed by objective monitoring means.

“During the flight, the Russian aircraft did not deviate from the agreed air route and did not violate Estonian airspace. The flight route of the aircraft passed over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea basin at a distance of more than three kilometers from the island of Vaindlo.”

Foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said Russia had already violated Estonian airspace four times this year, “which is unacceptable in itself, but today’s violation, during which three fighter jets entered our airspace, is unprecedentedly brazen”.

“Russia’s ever-increasing testing of borders and aggressiveness must be responded to by rapidly strengthening political and economic pressure,” he added.

‘Utterly unacceptable’

Estonia is the third NATO country to report an incursion of its airspace by Russia in recent weeks: On Sunday, Romania said a drone breached its airspace during a Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine.

Poland also reported an “unprecedented violation” of its airspace by more than a dozen Russian drones last week. Moscow denied responsibility for the incident.

The UK had previously summoned the Russian ambassador in London in response to the “utterly unacceptable” Romanian and Polish incursions.

The Russian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, its jets routinely fly over the Baltic Sea, where its Baltic Fleet is based.

In the wake of the incident, Estonia requested an Article 4 consultation, which allows NATO members to formally bring an issue to the attention of the North Atlantic Council, to meet and discuss when “the territorial integrity, political independence or security” of any state is threatened.

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said that the council will convene early next week to discuss the incident in more detail.

Sweden’s military released images late on Friday that it said showed a Russian fighter jet over the Baltic Sea after it had left Estonian airspace.

Incursion ‘not a coincidence’: Zelenskyy

While incursions over Vaindloo Island, around 124 miles from Estonia’s capital Tallinn, by Russian aircraft are somewhat common, they do not usually last as long as Friday’s incident.

In response, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said that the UK “stands with our Estonian allies” after what she called “yet another reckless incursion into NATO airspace”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy added that the incursion was “unacceptable” and added: “This is not a coincidence.

“It is a systematic Russian campaign against Europe, against NATO, against the West. And it requires a systematic response. Strong actions are necessary, both joint and from each individual country.”

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Trump says incident ‘could be big trouble’

Mr Trump also commented on the incident during a news conference at the White House, and said he was “going to have a look” at the reports.

After saying he would be briefed on the incursion, he said: “Well, I don’t love it. I don’t love it when that happens. Could be big trouble.”

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also said: “We will respond to every provocation with determination while investing in a stronger Eastern flank.”

She added that “as threats escalate, so too will our pressure”, before calling on European leaders to approve a new round of sanctions which would ban Russian liquified natural gas.

Putin ‘testing the West’s resolve’: EU official

Europe’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also said the “violation of Estonia’s airspace by Russian military aircraft is an extremely dangerous provocation”.

She added that the EU “stands in full solidarity with Estonia”, and said: “We will continue to support our member states in strengthening their defences with European resources.

“Putin is testing the West’s resolve. We must not show weakness.”

Estonia’s government said in May that Russia had briefly sent a fighter jet into NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea during an attempt to stop a Russian-bound oil tanker thought to be part of a “shadow fleet” defying Western sanctions on Moscow.

It added that the Russian deputy ambassador was summoned and given a protest note.

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Russia threatening Finland like Ukraine, says thinktank

It comes after analysis from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) suggested Russia has launched an information campaign against Finland – with echoes of how it built up to the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The thinktank noted senior figures in Moscow, including members of Vladimir Putin’s inner circle, have been making a series of statements designed to threaten the neighbouring country.

Its analysts said: “High-ranking Kremlin officials have increased threats against Finland in recent weeks, including by using language that mirrors the Kremlin’s false justifications for its invasions of Ukraine.

“ISW continues to assess that the playbook Russia is currently using to threaten NATO mirrors the playbook Russia previously used to set informational conditions justifying its aggression against Ukraine.”

At Kabul International Airport, we watched as a string of Afghan, Qatari and British officials walked into a building by the runway, alongside doctors.

On the runway a plane waited, the steps ready for what appeared to be an imminent departure. We had heard from our sources about the possible release of Peter and Barbie Reynolds, the elderly British couple detained in February, but we had no official confirmation yet.

Then, from behind a double door, I caught the eye of Barbie. The 76-year old smiled at me – her face seemingly bright with relief. Her husband, Peter, 80, then stepped into frame. A tall gentle looking man, his eyes looked filled with emotion.

Their relief and gratitude was immediately apparent. It was of course impossible to know what state their health was in, but they appeared alert and composed, despite nearly eight months in detention.

The couple’s son, Jonathan, had previously said his father had been suffering serious convulsions and his mother was “numb” from anaemia and malnutrition. The UN had also described their conditions as “degrading”. But today, as he prepared to leave the country, Peter wouldn’t be drawn on the conditions he faced. “We’re just very thankful, very thankful,” he told me.

Barbie, who spent part of her detention in a separate facility, looked strikingly calm – a graceful and understated demeanour. “We’ve been treated very well,” she said as she made her way to the plane. Taliban officials maintained they received adequate medical care in prison and their human rights were respected.

The couple’s four children campaigned carefully but consistently for their release. “We’re looking forward to seeing our children,” Barbie told me with a wide beam. I asked if she had a message for family and friends. “God is good as they say here in Afghanistan,” she declared.

And despite their surprise detention, she hoped they would be back. “Will you return to Afghanistan?” I asked. “Oh yes, if we can,” she said. “We are Afghan citizens.”

What happened

The couple have been together since the 1960s and married in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in 1970. They have lived in the country for 18 years and ran an organisation called Rebuild, which provides educational and leadership programmes, including training for mothers and children.

They have been described by family as having a lifelong love of Afghanistan. After the Taliban seized control in August 2021 and many other Westerners left, they decided to stay. They were arrested on their way home to Bamiyan. The Taliban has said the couple broke Afghanistan law. But after the couple faced four court proceedings, no charges were ever brought.

In a statement today, Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesman of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said: “Two British nationals named Peter and Barbara Reynolds, who had violated the laws of Afghanistan, were released from custody today following the judicial process. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not view the issues of its nationals from a political or bargaining perspective.”

Both the UK and Qatari officials were keen to express their deep gratitude to Afghanistan’s leadership for releasing the Reynolds. Richard Lindsay, Special Envoy to Afghanistan said it was a “very great humanitarian day”. But he acknowledged he did not know on what grounds the couple were held.

The Qataris appeared to play a critical role in negotiating with the Afghan authorities. They said they were able to ensure medical assistance was provided and enable the couple to communicate with their families. “The release of Barbie and Peter Reynolds shows that when two parties are committed to reaching an agreement, Qatar’s mediators will find a way to achieve it,” one Qatari official told Sky News.

In 2022, the Taliban banned Afghan women from working for NGOs. What led up to the arrest of the Reynolds, who dedicated so much of their lives to running an NGO is still unclear. But for their family, today is a day they had longed for.

An elderly British couple who have been freed after being detained by the Taliban earlier this year have been reunited with their daughter.

Barbie Reynolds, 76, and her husband Peter, 80, were detained by the Taliban’s interior ministry on 1 February as they travelled to their home in Bamyan province, central Afghanistan.

In March, they were moved to a maximum security prison in Kabul where they had been held without charge.

In the final stages of negotiations they were transferred to Kabul’s central prison.

They were safely released from detention on Friday and flown to Doha following mediation led by Qatar.

As they touched down in Doha, Sky correspondent Sally Lockwood said she saw the “joy” on Mrs Reynolds’ face as her daughter Sarah hugged her on the tarmac.

She told Lockwood it was “wonderful” to have arrived in Qatar.

Earlier, Sky correspondent Cordelia Lynch was at Kabul Airport as the freed couple arrived and departed.

Mr Reynolds told her: “We are just very thankful.”

His wife added: “We’ve been treated very well. We’re looking forward to seeing our children.

“We are looking forward to returning to Afghanistan if we can. We are Afghan citizens.”

Asked by Lynch if they had a message for family and friends, Mrs Reynolds replied: “My message is God is good, as they say in Afghanistan.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the news in a statement thanking Qatar.

“I welcome the release of Peter and Barbara Reynolds from detention in Afghanistan, and I know this long-awaited news will come as a huge relief to them and their family,” he said.

“I want to pay tribute to the vital role played by Qatar, including The Amir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, in securing their freedom.”

Richard Lindsay, the UK’s special envoy to Afghanistan, told Lynch it remained “unclear” on what grounds the couple had been detained.

He said they were “very relieved to be going home and delighted to be reunited with their family”.

Asked about the state of their health, he said: “I am not a doctor, but they are very happy.”

He added the British government’s travel advice to the country was clear. “We advise British nationals not to travel to Afghanistan. That remains the case and will remain the case,” he said.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesperson at the Taliban government’s foreign ministry, said in a statement posted on X that the couple “violated Afghan law” and were released from prison after a court hearing.

He did not say what law the couple were alleged to have broken.

Qatar, the energy-rich nation on the Arabian Peninsula that mediated talks between the US and the Taliban before the American withdrawal, helped in releasing the Reynolds.

Mirdef Ali Al-Qashouti, acting charge d’affaires at the Qatar Embassy in Kabul, told Lynch that Qatari officials ensured the couple were kept in “comfortable” conditions during talks.

He told Lynch the Reynolds’ release was because of “continuous efforts by my government to keep our policy in helping releasing hostages and our mediation and diplomacy”.

“Throughout their eight months in detention – during which they were largely held separately – the Qatari embassy in Kabul provided them with critical support, including access to their doctor, delivery of medication, and regular communication with their family,” a Qatari official told Reuters news agency.

Hamish Falconer, minister for the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, said in a statement: “The UK has worked intensively since their detention and has supported the family throughout.

“Qatar played an essential role in this case, for which I am hugely grateful.”

The couple have lived in Afghanistan for 18 years and run an organisation called Rebuild, which provides education and training programmes.

They have been together since the 1960s and married in the Afghan capital in 1970.

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Their son, Jonathan, told Sky News in April his parents had “never heard one accusation or one charge”.

He said the British government had offered to evacuate them when the Taliban took over, to which they replied: “Why would we leave these people in their darkest hour?”

Mr and Mrs Reynolds are now on their way home, where they will be reunited with their family.

Speaking to Sky News from Wyoming in the United States following their release, Jonathan said he was “excited” to be seeing his parents again, and joked: “I’m a little bit jealous of my dad’s beard.”

“They look really well to me,” he said, “which I’m just delighted about”.

“I am looking forward to putting my arms around them and giving them a big hug, as all of my siblings will be.”

He offered his “special thanks” to all the British and Qatari diplomats involved in his parents’ release.

He said the grounds for their detention remained a mystery as they were given no explanation for their arrest.

“They were investigated for all kinds of things but everything came up with no evidence of any wrongdoing,” he said.

“One of them, the original arrest, they said something about flying a drone – my parents don’t own a drone. It’s hard enough trying to get them to know how to use certain new technologies, let alone a drone.

“So, yeah, bizarre things, but I think they were just people of interest and then got caught up in a big, big mess of a situation, and no one knew what to do. But I’m just happy they are home.”

Asked about their desire to return to Afghanistan, he said: “It’s probably not wise to go back to a place where they are not welcome, and I would say, clearly they are not welcome there.”

“They are going to arrive back in the UK with the clothes on their backs. They have sold everything… all of their possessions,” he said, when asked what the future held for his parents.

“Knowing my mum she has probably written a few books in her mind whilst she’s been in captivity.

“We have heard great reports from schools across Afghanistan that the programmes they set up are running really, really well, so they will probably want to continue those,” he added.