In Estonia, a Fighter Jet Shot Down a Drone—Likely Ukrainian—for the First Time

In Estonia, a fighter jet assigned to the Baltic Air Policing mission shot down a drone for the first time. It is likely a Ukrainian attack drone that had strayed off course.

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur shared this with Delfi.

The UAV was shot down near Lake Värtsjärv around noon on Tuesday after an air raid alert was issued in part of the country.

The Minister reported that the drone, which had entered Estonian airspace, was shot down by a Romanian fighter jet patrolling the Baltic states.

According to him, it was likely a drone of Ukrainian origin, targeting sites in Russia.

“Our radar and air defense systems detected a potential aerial threat even before it reached Estonia,” Pevkur noted.

It is currently reported that the drone crashed in a marshy area, and the search for debris is ongoing. The Minister emphasized that people should not touch or approach the UAV parts.

Lake Virtsjärv in Estonia is located in the southern part of the country, more than 70 km from the border with Russia.

At 12:55 p.m., the Armed Forces issued a statement lifting the drone threat alert in southern Estonia. The alert had lasted about an hour. The potential drone threat affected the regions of Tartu, Jõgeva, Viljandi, Valga, Viru, and Põlva.

According to ERR, the northwestern region of Russia bordering Estonia was subjected to repeated drone attacks on Tuesday morning, causing the closure of airports in Pskov and St. Petersburg.

Restrictions were first imposed at Pulkovo Airport around 9:45 a.m. They were then lifted around 10:10 a.m., but the airport was closed again shortly thereafter.

Prior to this, the governor of the Leningrad region issued a warning about drones in the region, and at 11:48 a.m., he reported on social media that Russian air defense forces had shot down two drones over the region.