A possible drone warning threat was issued in Võru and Ida-Viru counties on Sunday morning as Russian authorities reported attacks on the Leningrad region. The alert ended at 5:30 a.m.
The Defense Forces (EDF) issued an EE-ALARM alert at around 3.30 a.m. saying: “Possible air threat from drones in Võru County. If you see a drone, take cover.”
At 5:30 a.m., a second message said the alert had ended: “Currently, there is no danger in Estonian airspace.
The governor of the Leningrad region reported early in the morning that Russia’s air defense “destroyed 35 drones.”
Newspaper Põhjarannik, which covers eastern Estonia, said the alerts for Ida-Viru County were issued at around the same time.
The Ministry of Interior said the alert was issued “in connection with Russia’s military operations against Ukraine.”
In recent months, Ukraine has used long-range drones to attack Russia’s oil processing and exporting infrastructure on the Baltic Sea.
Due to Russian countermeasures, some of the drones have ended up in Estonian, Lithuanian, Finnish, and Latvian airspace.
Defence Forces: One drone entered Estonian airspace
Head of the Defense Forces’ Strategic Communications Department, Colonel Uku Arold, told ERR that one drone entered Estonian airspace for a short time during Ukraine’s attack on Russia.
“The drones flew parallel to Estonia’s air border outside Estonian territory, but likely due to interference, there was a risk that several of them could enter Estonian territory, and one did enter for a short time and, according to current knowledge, moved back to Russia from here without causing any damage anywhere,” he said.
Arold said no drones are known to have crashed in Estonian territory.
“At present, there is no information that drone fragments have been found in Estonia, and according to current knowledge, the drone that entered Estonian airspace over Lake Peipus and Lake Pskov moved out of Estonian airspace,” the colonel noted.
Several Ida-Viru County residents wrote on social media that they heard drone-like noises overhead and some also claimed to have seen them.
Asked to comment on this, Arold said: “I cannot speculate on that. People may hear things that are on the other side of the border, people may also hear things that originate from something similar or from something else, and if they have reported it to the emergency center, then those things are checked.”
Finland and Latvia also issued alerts on Sunday morning.
This article was updated to add that the alert was also issued in Ida-Viru County. Then again to add comments from Colonel Uku Arold.
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