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The John Batchelor Show

PREVIEW: Russia's MiG-31 Violation Over Estonia Signals Hypersonic Missile Capability GUEST: General Blaine Holt SUMMARY: Russia used the old MiG-31K model (last made in 1994) to violate Estonia's airspace, signaling air force capability, specifically its

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Arts, Books, News, Society & Culture

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 23 September 2025

⏱️ 2 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

PREVIEW: Russia's MiG-31 Violation Over Estonia Signals Hypersonic Missile Capability
GUEST: General Blaine Holt
SUMMARY: Russia used the old MiG-31K model (last made in 1994) to violate Estonia's airspace, signaling air force capability, specifically its ability to carry the nuclear-capable Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
1945 ZHUKOV

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:26.0

This is John Baxter, speaking with colleague General Blaineholt, United States Air Force, retired us posting at NATO. Why did the Russians choose a MiG-31 to violate the airspace of Estonia?

0:34.7

What does it mean? It has to do with one, what it can carry, and nuclear-tipped

0:40.4

hypersonic missile, and two, it hasn't been in production for a while. What did that signal?

0:48.3

What is the meaning of the three that flew over Estonia? What will accelerate from here?

0:55.0

What will escalate from here?

0:57.7

Here's Blaine.

0:59.3

More of this later tonight.

1:01.2

Yep.

1:01.5

So it's not their top-rated one.

1:03.2

The one we did not want to see was the SU-35 or aircraft in that generation.

1:09.2

This is a very old fighter. It goes back to its first production

1:13.6

run in 1974. Its current model edition is called the Mig 31I model, and it came off the

1:22.1

assembly line last in 1996 before they shut it all down. But why that jet is concerning is its capability set.

1:30.4

We know full well it can carry their brand new Kinsal Hypersonics missile that is conventional or

1:36.6

nuclear capable. And I believe that that's the message that Moscow was sending is our air forces

1:43.9

are really quite capable.

1:46.1

And I believe they sent the older aircraft in because we know that if they're going to take an attack plan,

1:53.8

they're certainly not going to start with MiG-31s.

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