NATO Jet Shoots Down Drone Over Estonia
A Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone over central Estonia on Tuesday. Estonian officials said the aircraft was likely a Ukrainian projectile diverted by Russian electronic jamming.
asiaone.comA Romanian F-16 fighter jet participating in NATO's Baltic air policing mission shot down a drone over central Estonia on Tuesday. Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the aircraft fired a missile shortly after 12:00 local time. The drone crashed into a forest near Lake Võrtsjärv and the town of Põltsamaa, about 30 meters from the nearest residential building.
No damage or injuries were reported. Estonian authorities warned residents not to touch any debris.
Estonian officials said the drone had been identified as a potential threat before it entered the country's airspace. They received early information from Latvia about the projectile straying off course. The Estonian defence ministry stated that the drone was tracked until Romanian fighter jets shot it down.
The wreckage has not yet been recovered. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said Russia continues to redirect Ukrainian drones into the Baltics on purpose. Officials said the Ukrainians have not asked for such permission. Russia's foreign intelligence agency claimed without evidence that Ukraine was planning to launch drones against Russian targets from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Latvia dismissed the claim as disinformation. A similar incident occurred last week when two Ukrainian drones hit an empty oil storage site in Latvia. Ukrainian officials attributed that event to Russian electronic jamming. Estonian air force commander Brig.
Gen. Riivo Valge said a residual threat to the Baltic states remained and that a repeat of the situation could occur.
