NATO fighters escorted three Russian MiG-31 aircraft out of Estonian airspace between 9:34 AM and 10:34 AM UTC on Friday, September 20th, after they violated the country's airspace over the Gulf of Finland. The incident occurred as Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Ukraine, hours after the interception, according to CNN. During the reporting window of 9:34 AM to 11:04 AM UTC, Ukrainian forces reported striking three key targets in Russia's Saratov and Samara regions: the Saratov and Novokuybyshevsk oil refineries and the Samara oil pumping station. Massive fires broke out at these sites, which fuel the Russian military, according to the General Staff confirmation cited by NOELreports. Separately, an X-101 cruise missile strike hit a building in Dnipro this morning, with a video shared on X showing a bright flash. Italian NATO fighters were responsible for escorting the Russian aircraft, which flew parallel to the Estonian state border, penetrating Estonian airspace to a depth of less than 10 kilometers, as stated by the Estonian Ministry of Defense. This event follows a night of widespread Russian aerial attacks across Ukraine, which resulted in civilian casualties and infrastructure damage, prompting Poland to place its air defense and radar units on high alert, as previously reported. Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radek Sikorski stated that Poland mobilized all its resources overnight, deploying fighter jets and placing air defense and radar units on high alert in response to the Russian aerial activity that struck Ukrainian cities. These Ukrainian drone activities followed a night of widespread Russian missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reporting dozens of injuries and three fatalities. Attacks reportedly struck infrastructure, residential areas, and civilian enterprises in multiple regions. Earlier in the reporting period, Polish publication Myśl Polska claimed Romania had placed military units near its border with Moldova on high alert amid speculation of a potential operation against Transnistria. The report suggested potential Romanian intervention involving the 8th Operational-Tactical Missile Brigade, equipped with HIMARS systems, and alleged support from the "Kyiv regime" for an attack on Transnistria.
