Allied forces shoot down unidentified drone near southern Estonia military base
Two drones of unknown origin were spotted near a military base in southern Estonia, one of which was shot down by allied forces, Estonian media outlet Postimees reported on Oct. 28.
The incident occurred on Oct. 17 near Camp Reedo, a military base around 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Tallinn, which plays an important role in the rotation of U.S. forces stationed in Estonia.
According to Liis Vaksmann, a representative of Estonia's General Staff, efforts by the armed forces and the Police and Border Guard Board to recover the downed drone were unsuccessful.
"The armed forces do not comment in detail on security-related incidents," Vaksmann added.
This comes amid a surge in mysterious drone sightings across European countries, raising fears of Russian involvement in hybrid warfare and renewed concern about the alliance's security.
Estonia, a NATO member since 2004 with a population of 1.37 million, shares a 290-kilometer (180-mile) border with Russia. Its geographic location makes it one of NATO's most exposed members.
The country previously faced Russian airspace violations. On Sept. 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighters entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland and remained for 12 minutes.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna earlier told the Kyiv Independent that Estonia and its allies must be prepared to intercept and shoot down aircraft violating sovereign airspace.
"The message must be unequivocal: future violations will meet a response — including, if necessary, the interception and downing of intruding aircraft," Tsahkna said on Sept. 23. "This is not only about defending Estonia's borders — it's about defending NATO's borders."
Francis Farrell
