NATO intercepts Russian spy plane

TALLIN, Estonia, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Estonia called the Russian ambassador after NATO intercepted a Russian spy plane over the Baltic after it allegedly violated Estonian airspace.

NATO said it intercepted the Ilyushin-20 plane with "Danish F-16 jets as it approached Denmark" before it flew north toward Sweden. Estonia claims the plane entered their airspace for about one minute before being intercepted.

Officers confirmed NATO sovereign airspace had been violated.

"At 12:53pm. CET the IL-20 approached Estonian airspace from the northeast," a NATO military officer told the Financial Times. "I'm not aware of any incursions into the airspace patrolled by Nato other than the brief incident yesterday."

Russia denies it violated Estonian airspace. A spokesman from the Russian Defense Ministry claimed the military plane departed Khrabrovo airfield in Kaliningrad and they only flew in the airspace "over neutral waters."

In September, Estonia accused Russia of abducting one of its security officials. Relations between the two countries have been strained since the crisis in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea.