Shooting down a Russian aircraft: no Aleksander Olech 23.09.2025 08:31 DrukujPDFPhoto. In fact, since 2014 Russian aircraft have violated Estonian airspace more than 40 times. Both incidents were attempts to probe not only reaction, capability and potential, but also how such Russian pin-pricks would affect NATO’s stability. Hence the continued rearmament of NATO states on the eastern borders. It is therefore worth considering, as part of an information campaign, firm communications that further violations of airspace may end with Russian aircraft being shot down.