Russian Air Force spokesperson Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky told RIA Novosti that two AN-26 aircraft from the Russian Air Force conducted a regular flight strictly along the designated corridor and under constant monitoring from the ground.
"The Russian side is ready to present all necessary data on the flight," Drobyshevsky said.
Estonian Defense Forces Main Headquarters claim that of at 13:49 on Saturday, April 23, an AN-26 military transport plane heading toward Kaliningrad (the Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea coast), entered Estonian airspace near the island of Vaindloo to the distance of more than a nautical mile and spent less than a minute over the territory of the republic.
The official statement claims that the Estonian Airspace Monitoring Center in Emari has registered the violation.
The Estonian officials insist that similar incidents with Russian aircraft have happened in the past. The Main Headquarters of the Estonian Defense Forces mention some of such occasions: on December 3, 2004, Russian AN-26 plane violated the Estonian airspace also in the vicinity of the Vaindloo Island; on November 24, 2004, a Russian Tu-154 violated the Estonian airspace twice near the islands of Naissaar and Osmussaar; on November 19, 2004, Russian aircraft AN-72 and AN-26 violated the Estonian airspace in the vicinity of the Vaindloo Island.
