Estonia, Romania report drone incursions amid Russian and Ukrainian aerial attacks

Estonia and Romania, both members of the European Union and NATO, reported separate drone incursions on Sept. 1 as Russia launched a large-scale aerial attack on Ukraine and Ukrainian drones targeted western Russia.

One drone crossed into southeastern Estonia, while another flew toward the border city of Narva but changed course before entering the country’s airspace, Estonian Air Force Commander Brigadier General Riivo Valge told public broadcaster ERR.

Valge said around a dozen drones were detected near Estonia’s border at about 2 a.m. amid a large-scale Ukrainian attack on targets in western Russia.

When one of the drones began flying toward Narva, Estonia activated ground-based air defense units and issued public warnings. Turkish fighter jets stationed at Amari Air Base as part of NATO’s rotational air policing mission were also scrambled.

The drone eventually turned back toward Russia without crossing the border. Roughly 30 minutes later, however, another drone entered southeastern Estonia, prompting additional warnings.

At the time, drones were targeting Russia's Leningrad Oblast, which borders Estonia. The attack damaged the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, according to local authorities. Russian air defenses reportedly intercepted 38 drones across the region, including 17 near the port.

Neither drone crashed in Estonia, and the fighter jets did not open fire. The alert was lifted at around 5:30 a.m., with no casualties or damage reported.

Hours later, a local resident discovered a damaged drone in a field outside the village of Viisoara in Romania, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Moldovan border, according to Digi24.

Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) specialists determined that the drone contained explosives and carried out a controlled detonation, Digi24 later reported, citing sources.

No casualties or property damage were reported. It remains unclear where the drone originated and how it reached the field.

Romania borders Ukraine's Odesa Oblast, one of the primary targets of Russia's overnight attack. The strikes damaged the Orlivka international ferry crossing on the Romanian border, as well as residential, energy, and port infrastructure, and injured one person.

Russian drones and their debris have repeatedly landed in Romania during attacks on Ukraine since 2023. Neighboring Moldova, which is not a NATO member, has also recorded repeated incursions.

Elsewhere on NATO’s eastern flank, allied jets shot down drones over Poland for the first time in September 2025. A NATO jet carried out its first drone interception over Estonia in May 2026.

Romania has also adopted a more forceful response to aerial incursions, shooting down several drones since July. Most recently, Romanian forces destroyed a suspected naval drone near the Neptun Deep gas project in the Black Sea on Aug. 20.