Estonia says NATO shoots down suspected Ukrainian drone
Recent Drone Incidents and NATO Response in the Baltic Region
Suspected Ukrainian Drone Shot Down Over Estonia
VILNIUS, May 19 (Reuters) - A NATO military jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over Estonia on Tuesday, the Baltic country said, the latest in a series of airspace violations in the region amid frequent Ukrainian attacks on Russia.
Latvia Issues Drone Alert Near Russian Border
Neighbouring Latvia also issued a drone alert, telling residents near the Russian border to stay indoors, with NATO Baltic Air Police jets summoned to the area, the Latvian army said.
Increase in Ukrainian Drone Activity in the Baltic
Incursions into NATO Member Airspace
Ukraine has stepped up long-range drone attacks on Russia, including around the Baltic. Since March, several Ukrainian military drones have strayed into the airspace of NATO members Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, which all border Russia. The Latvian government last week resigned over its handling of the incursions.
Details of the Estonian Incident
The suspected Ukrainian drone was shot down on Tuesday by a Romanian Air Force F-16 fighter, Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said. NATO did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Regional Reactions and Security Measures
Ukrainian Support for Baltic Air Defense
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last week that Ukraine would send experts to Latvia to help protect the country's skies.
Finnish Response to Suspected Drone Activity
Public Safety Warnings and Airport Disruptions
Finnish authorities on May 15 warned of suspected drone activity in the country's capital region, telling people to stay indoors and suspending traffic at Helsinki's airport for three hours.
Military and Emergency Response
The Finnish defence forces had scrambled fighter jets and other emergency services, but no drones were eventually found.
(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius, Janis Laizans in Riga and Essi Lehto in Helsinki, additional reporting by Lili Bayer in Brussels and Niklas Pollard in Stockholm, writing by Anna RingstromEditing by Terje Solsvik and Peter Graff)
