For the first time, a NATO fighter jet has intercepted and shot down what is believed to be a stray Ukrainian drone over Estonian airspace. The incident occurred on Tuesday in southern Estonia, prompting a swift response from both Kyiv and Moscow.
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur confirmed the operation, stating that given the drone's trajectory, “we decided that we needed to take it down.” He added, “Most probably, today we can say that it was a drone that was, let’s say, meant to hit Russian targets.”
Ukraine Apologises, Blames Russian Electronic Warfare
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi expressed regret over the incident, saying, “We apologise to Estonia and all our Baltic friends for such unintended incidents.” He noted that experts from Ukraine and Estonia are working together to prevent similar occurrences in the future, including through direct engagement of their expert groups.
Tykhyi also claimed that Russia is deliberately redirecting Ukrainian drones into the Baltics using electronic warfare, calling it a tactic combined with “intensified propaganda.”
Russia Threatens Retaliation, Accuses Latvia
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a statement on Tuesday alleging that Ukraine was preparing to launch drone attacks against Russia from Baltic territory. The SVR claimed that Riga had agreed to let Kyiv use Latvian soil for such operations, “despite fears of becoming a target for retaliatory strikes by Moscow.”
“The primitive Russophobia of Latvia’s current rulers proved stronger than their capacity for critical thinking or their sense of self-preservation,” the SVR said, adding that “the coordinates of decision-making centres on Latvian territory are well known, and the country’s NATO membership will not protect those who aid terrorists from just retribution.”
Both Latvia and Ukraine denied the allegations. Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa stated that Riga had “never given Ukraine permission to use its territory or airspace for defensive strikes against Russia or any other country.” She emphasised, “Russia is the aggressor, and Ukraine has every right to defend itself.”
A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson reiterated that “contrary to Russian propaganda claims, neither Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania nor Finland has ever allowed the use of its airspace for strikes against Russia. Furthermore, Ukraine has never requested such permission.” The spokesperson added that Ukraine exercises its right to self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, noting that “our legitimate military targets are located in Russia, and we use Russian airspace to reach them.”
Political Fallout in Latvia
The incident comes amid political turbulence in Latvia. Last week, the government collapsed after the prime minister resigned following the defence minister’s departure over the handling of multiple incidents involving stray drones suspected to have originated from Ukraine. The defence minister’s party subsequently withdrew its support for the coalition.
This is not the first time Moscow has threatened the Baltic states with “retaliatory strikes” over Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia. The Kremlin has repeatedly used similar language, referring to “decision-making centres” in Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion.
For more on the broader context of drone warfare in the region, see our coverage of Russia's massive drone and missile barrage on eight Ukrainian regions and Ukraine's record drone attack on the Moscow region.
