German and Swedish fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane that entered neutral airspace over the Baltic Sea on Sunday morning, officials from Germany and Sweden said. German officials said NATO ordered Germany's "quick reaction alert force" to investigate an unidentified aircraft flying without a plan or radio contact. This was the latest event after a series of incursions by Russian military aircraft into NATO airspace in September, leading to heightened tensions between NATO and Russia. On Friday, Estonia said three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered its airspace without permission and remained there for a total of 12 minutes. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal invoked NATO's Article 4, which allows NATO members to hold consultations with the alliance when any state believes it is under threat. NATO's Article 4 was also triggered days earlier by Poland after more than a dozen Russian drones arrived in Polish airspace on September 10, leading Poland to shoot down some of them.
