The Telegraph, citing Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, reported that Estonia is prepared to host British F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons. According to the publication, Tallinn is ready to accept the deployment of these aircraft on its territory.

The newspaper emphasized that because the United States manufactures the fifth-generation F-35A fighters and owns Europe’s stockpile of B61-12 nuclear bombs, any potential nuclear strike would require explicit approval from the White House.

At the same time, a source in the British Armed Forces told the outlet that stationing such aircraft in Estonia would inevitably be seen as a provocative step. The source also warned that these jets would likely become priority targets for the Russian Armed Forces in the event of escalation.

Earlier, Tallinn had accused Russian MiG-31 jets of violating Estonian airspace — allegations that the Russian Defense Ministry flatly denied. The ministry cited objective control data and stressed that Russian crews strictly comply with international airspace regulations.