Estonia's defense minister says Ukrainian drones entered country's airspace again

Estonia's Defense Minister, Aleksander Pevkur, informed journalists that Ukrainian drones had entered the country's airspace again, ahead of an EU defense ministers meeting in Ireland. Estonia had been prepared for this occurrence, and NATO aircraft were monitoring the situation, with no harm done to people or territory. Pevkur emphasized that the incident showed the war's consequences closing in, stressing the need to continue supporting Ukraine and providing it with air defense capabilities.

He called for enhancing defense capabilities, especially in air defense, and sending a clear message of allied unity to Russia. Hybrid attacks had recently intensified, as seen in Leipzig, Germany, and an attack on Estonia's defense industry. Prosecutors are investigating the latter case, and Estonia is cooperating with Latvia due to the attackers' Latvian origin.

Pevkur warned that Russia is testing the threshold for invoking Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and trying to determine the "thin red line." He urged allies to clearly demonstrate unity and act together, while urging calm and distinguishing between criminal offenses and military attacks. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna had previously stated that Ukrainian drones entering NATO territory were a price worth paying for destroying Russian oil refineries and military bases, and Estonia would not ask Ukraine to cease such attacks.