Drones cross into Estonian airspace overnight, alerts also near Latvian border
Overnight, Estonia issued air raid alerts in several counties after drones entered its airspace, prompting NATO fighter jets to scramble. Similar warnings were also issued in Latvia's border districts of Ludza and Alūksne.
Overnight into Tuesday, Estonia's Defence Forces issued repeated warnings to residents about airborne threats. At 3:11 an alert was declared for Lääne and Ida-Viru counties, followed at 3:48 by warnings for Tartu, Jõgeva, Viljandi, Valga, Võru and Põlva counties.
Lieutenant Colonel Uku Arold, head of the Defence Forces' Strategic Communications Department, told ERR that drones had been detected moving parallel to Estonia's and Latvia's eastern borders before entering Estonian airspace, prompting the alert and the scrambling of Turkish fighter jets. The alert was lifted before 6:00.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna confirmed on social media that drones approached the border and entered Estonian airspace, leading NATO fighter jets to launch from the Ämari air base as well. He said the alliance reacted quickly and exactly as planned, remaining vigilant and ready to defend allied territory. Tsahkna linked such incidents directly to Russia's war against Ukraine, calling for increased pressure on Moscow to end the aggression.
Strike on Russian port
Overnight, Ukrainian drones also struck the port of Ust-Luga in Russia's Leningrad region, located near the Gulf of Finland close to the Estonian border. Regional governor Alexander Drozdenko reported damage in the port area and a resulting fire.
Warnings in Latvia too
The same night, Latvia's National Armed Forces issued their own warnings. At 2:00, residents of Ludza municipality received a mobile alert about a possible airspace threat, which the army declared over by 2:25. At 3:37, a threat was announced for Alūksne municipality, concluding at 4:17. During these alerts, NATO's Baltic air policing mission fighters were activated.
