Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has demanded that Ukrainian authorities immediately cease all operations using Estonian airspace for drone attacks on Russia, labeling such activities a direct threat to regional security.
In recent weeks, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland have reported multiple incidents of Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) crashing within their national territories. Moscow previously accused NATO members of enabling Ukraine to target Russian energy infrastructure in the northwestern Leningrad region.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo recently informed Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy that Helsinki deems any Ukrainian aircraft entering its airspace an unacceptable violation, a stance reflecting deepening concerns over Baltic security. Speaking on Sunday, Pevkur warned Estonian authorities would take swift action against the incursions and demanded Kyiv clarify “what exactly it means and what they themselves had in mind” by these actions. He emphasized that the simplest solution for Ukraine is to better control its drone operations.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna acknowledged Ukraine retains the right to conduct attacks within Russian territory but warned of potential escalations, stating, “Russia could take control of Ukrainian drones and send them toward us.” Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Spruds noted that breaches of Riga’s airspace by foreign aircraft will persist as long as the Russia-Ukraine conflict remains unresolved, attributing incursions to Moscow.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga announced Kyiv’s plans to deploy technical teams to assist in strengthening air defense systems across the Baltic States and Finland. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has previously accused Western air defenses of being ineffective against Ukrainian UAVs or that the Baltic States and Finland “deliberately provide their airspace, thereby becoming open accomplices in aggression against Russia,” warning Moscow would have the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter if such cooperation occurred.