"On March 12, 2018, an Il-76 plane of the Russian aerospace forces made a scheduled flight to an aerodrome in the Kaliningrad region. The flight was performed in strict compliance with the international rules of the use of airspace. The borders of other states were not violated, which was confirmed by objective monitoring means," the ministry said on Monday.

According to the ministry, the flight’s route was preliminary agreed and the plane was flying with its transponder switched on. The crew maintained radio contact with Estonian air traffic controllers who had no claims to the Russian crew.

The General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces said earlier that a Russian Li-76 plane had entered the country’s airspace near the island of Vaindloo at about 13:00 Moscow time. The Estonian foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to present a note.