After an air raid alert was reported overnight in Latvia, several drones continued on their course and entered Estonian airspace, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported.
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The incident occurred at a time when tensions in Eastern Europe remain high, fueled by the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The Estonian Defence Forces announced that an air threat alert was issued in several areas of the country at around 03:00. According to Lieutenant Colonel Uku Arold, head of the Strategic Communications Department of the Estonian Defence Forces, the drones initially moved along the eastern border between Estonia and Latvia before entering Estonian airspace.
In response, fighter jets from the Turkish Air Force, stationed at Ämari Air Base in Estonia as part of NATO’s air-policing mission, were scrambled.
Other NATO fighter jets, part of the Baltic Air Policing Mission, were also activated to track and monitor the situation after the drones entered Estonian territory.
The air alert was lifted before 06:00. Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, said that NATO had acted in accordance with established procedures and that the alliance remained on standby to defend the territory of its member states.
