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By Gabe Whisnant
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Poland accused Russia on Friday of violating the "safety zone" of a Baltic Sea oil platform after two fighter jets flew low over the Petrobaltic installation.
The Polish Border Force said the military and other authorities were alerted following the incident, which it called a breach of security around the offshore site.
Why It Matters
The breach came little more than a week after NATO aircraft shot down Russian drones over Poland, stoking fears the Ukraine war could spread beyond its borders.
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The Baltic Sea incident came the same day Estonia summoned a Russian diplomat to protest what it called an "unprecedentedly brazen" airspace violation. The Foreign Ministry said three Russian fighter jets entered its airspace Friday without permission and remained for 12 minutes, the fourth such breach this year.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said the government would begin consultations with NATO allies under Article 4 after what he described as yet another Russian incursion.
Trump Reacts to Russia's Latest Moves
President Donald Trump warned of "big trouble" when asked Friday about the reports of Russian fighter jets entering Estonia's airspace.
The president responded to a question about the reports, "Well, I'm gonna have to look at it. They'll be briefing me in a short while, so I'll let you know about it tonight or tomorrow.
He continued, "I don't love it. I don't like when that happens. This could be big trouble, but I'll let you know later they're going to brief me in about an hour."
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said Friday the North Atlantic Council, the alliance's top political decision-making body, will meet early next week to review the incident.
What is the Petrobaltic Installation?
The Petrobaltic platform is an oil and gas installation operated by Orlen Petrobaltic, a subsidiary of Poland's state-owned energy giant Orlen. Located in the Polish exclusive economic zone of the Baltic Sea, it is the country's only offshore oil platform and a strategic energy asset, producing crude oil and natural gas since the late 1980s.
What is a Safety Zone?
A safety zone is a protective buffer established around facilities or operations—such as oil platforms or military drills—meant to reduce risks but without the same legal weight as airspace, which is the sovereign territory above a nation's land and waters, where unauthorized entry is treated as a violation of national borders.
Update: 9/19/25, 2:34 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 9/19/25, 7:26 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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