Estonia has reported that a NATO aircraft shot down a drone over its territory, which it suspects was a Ukrainian projectile diverted off course by Russian electronic jamming.
Estonian defence minister Hanno Pevkur described how a Romanian F-16 operating as part of NATO’s Baltic air policing mission fired a missile following the assessment of the UAV as a potential threat. The debris fell into a marshy area in central Estonia, with no reported damage or casualties.The drone reportedly crashed in a forest area, landing roughly 30 metres from the nearest residential building. Local media cited residents describing a loud explosion and seeing the object fall from the sky. Estonia’s authorities said the UAV was tracked after early warnings from Latvia before the interception took place.
Ukraine acknowledged the incident and expressed regret, with officials apologising to Estonia and other Baltic states. Russia was accused of deliberately redirecting Ukrainian drones away from intended military targets through electronic warfare.
The incident comes amid a series of drone incursions across NATO’s eastern flank, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which have increasingly raised security concerns among alliance members. Earlier incidents have included drones entering airspace in the region and strikes near border-adjacent infrastructure.
Yesterday saw fellow Baltic state Lithuania temporarily shut Vilnius International Airport and issue shelter orders in several regions after a UAV alert. Residents in the capital were instructed by the defence ministry to seek immediate shelter and wait for further instructions, while local media reported that both the president and prime minister briefly took cover. The alert was later lifted, allowing people to leave shelters.
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