NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled after drones entered the airspace of Estonia and Latvia during the early hours of 1 September, with Estonian authorities issuing an air-threat warning as one aircraft approached the country’s border with Russia, according to the Estonian Defence Forces.
The Estonian Defence Forces said the warning was issued after drones involved in a Ukrainian strike against targets in Russia flew close to the border and briefly entered Estonian airspace. Residents in affected areas were alerted as the situation developed.
Estonian Air Force Commander Brigadier General Riivo Valge said an air-threat alert was issued at around 3am local time after a drone approached Estonian airspace near Narva, the northern border city immediately adjacent to Russia. According to Valge, the drone subsequently changed course and returned towards Russian territory.
The incident formed part of a wider overnight airspace alert involving both Estonia and Latvia, with NATO fighter aircraft scrambled after drones entered the airspace of the two Alliance members. The information released so far does not identify the NATO aircraft involved in the response, their operating bases or how long the incursions lasted.
Estonia’s warning system was activated while the drone was approaching the country’s eastern border, allowing authorities to notify residents while military personnel monitored its movement. Narva sits directly on the Estonian-Russian frontier, separated from the Russian city of Ivangorod by the Narva River. The area is one of NATO’s easternmost borders and lies immediately alongside Russian territory.
The 1 September alert differed from routine interceptions in that the aircraft involved were drones associated with a strike against targets inside Russia rather than conventional crewed military aircraft.
The Estonian Defence Forces said the drones had been used in a Ukrainian attack against targets in Russia before flying close to the border, with at least one briefly entering Estonian airspace.
NATO aircraft were subsequently scrambled in response to the incursions affecting Estonia and Latvia, while Estonian authorities issued warnings to residents in the areas considered potentially affected.
