NATO Jet Shoots Down Ukrainian Drone Over Estonia

A NATO Baltic Air Policing jet shot down a stray Ukrainian drone over Estonia on May 19.

The drone entered Estonian airspace from the direction of Russia and was shot down between Lake Vortsjarv and Poltsamaa in southern Estonia.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi said the drone had been redirected by Russia using electronic warfare.

“Russia continues to redirect Ukrainian drones into the Baltics with the use of its electronic warfare. And Moscow does this on purpose, together with intensified propaganda,” he said.

“We apologise to Estonia and all of our Baltic friends for such unintended incidents.”

In a May 19 post on X, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the drone was “detected quickly and shot down over Southern Estonia by a NATO Air Policing fighter jet.”

“My sincere thanks to our NATO allies, the Romanian Air Force and the fighter pilots who carried out this mission with professionalism and precision,” he said.

“Estonia’s airspace is protected. NATO is vigilant, prepared, and capable of acting rapidly when needed.”

According to the Estonian Defence Forces, the Romanian air policing unit based in Siauliai, Lithuania, responded to the threat with F-16 fighter jets. The drone was shot down at 12:14 p.m local time.

The Defence Forces said air surveillance monitored the drone before the decision was made to shoot it down.

“In its operations, the Defence Forces proceed from the peacetime environment, including reducing the impact on the civilian population and infrastructure,” they said on the government website kriis.ee.

In a post on X, the Defence Forces said that the incident “occurred under the conditions of heavy electronic warfare, including GPS spoofing and jamming, by Russia.”

“These incidents are the direct result of Russia’s war and provocations. Estonia is strengthening cooperation with Ukraine to enhance our air defence and counter-drone ​capabilities,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a post on X.

Latvia’s National Armed Forces said NATO Air Policing fighter jets had been activated over the Baltics after a possible threat was reported in the Krāslava, Preiļi, Ludza, and Rēzekne municipalities, warning residents to shelter indoors and avoid any suspicious low-flying objects.

“As long as Russia’s aggression in Ukraine continues, recurrences of such incidents—where a foreign unmanned aerial vehicle enters or approaches Latvia’s airspace—are possible,” it said in a May 19 post on X.

Finland also updated similar guidelines for citizens on drone threat warnings.

Latvian Minister of Defense Andris Spruds said that “shooting down targets is not a national decision— it is carried out with NATO command approval.”

“When NATO fighter jets are in the air, ground-based air defense systems (guided missiles, interceptor drones, machine guns) cannot be used, to avoid endangering pilots’ lives,” he added.

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed that Ukraine was preparing drone strikes against Russia from Baltic territory, alleging that Kyiv had persuaded Latvia to approve a drone operation against Russia, according to state-owned news agency TASS on May 19.

SVR also warned that Russia would “respond to aggression.”

Latvia denied this, saying that it does not allow ⁠Ukraine to strike Russia from its territory.

“Latvia does NOT provide airspace for attacks on Russia,” Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braze said in a May 19 post on X.

Lithuania’s national security adviser, Deividas Matulionis, shared a May 19 post on X saying Baltic officials expect U.S. troops to remain in the region.

The post, written by analyst Linas Kojala on X, said more than 1,000 U.S. troops are deployed rotationally in Lithuania and around 600 in Estonia.

Kojala cited Matulionis as saying that, based on the information available to him, U.S. forces are expected to remain in Lithuania. He also cited Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur as saying that U.S. troops “are in Estonia and will remain there.”

“Presence is deterrence,” Kojala wrote.