MOSCOW, November 13. /TASS/. Russian Defense Ministry denies violation of Estonia's, Lithuania's airspace by its transport plane.

“On November 12 a Russian military transport plane Ilyushin-76 was making a routine flight from Pskov to the Kaliningrad Region. The flight proceeded along the established route over the neutral water area of the Baltic Sea in strict compliance with the international rules of using air space,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The Dutch Defense Ministry says two fighter jets of the national air force intercepted a Russian transport plane in the Baltic countries’ airspace on Wednesday evening.

According to the Defense Ministry’s statement, a Russian four-engine plane IL (presumably Ilyushin-76 - TASS) en route towards Kaliningrad, strayed into the airspace of Estonia and Lithuania without prior notice.

Two Dutch F-16 jets were ordered into the air from the Polish airbase near the town of Malbork “to escort the Ilyushin out of the Baltic countries’ airspace,” the statement ran.

The Dutch Air Force participates in guarding the air space of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia under NATO liabilities. The decision on their temporary deployment in Poland followed a worsening of relations between Russia and Europe over Ukraine.