Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said the country has installed its first fixed drone detection and monitoring systems along the southeastern section of its eastern border.
“The first devices have been installed and are operational. Of course, this is only the beginning. We are working toward creating a drone monitoring network that will cover all of Estonia, but this step shows that the preparatory work has paid off. Recent drone-related incidents have demonstrated that we assessed the risks very realistically when planning our capabilities,” he said.
In areas where fixed equipment has not yet been installed or where additional oversight is needed, Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board will deploy new mobile monitoring systems.
Taro said border security is being continuously strengthened and modernization efforts are progressing on schedule or ahead of schedule. Border authorities are also procuring equipment for the next stages of the surveillance network rollout.
On May 19, Estonia shot down a drone using a Romanian fighter jet after it allegedly entered the country’s airspace while possibly heading toward targets in Russia. It was the first time Estonia had independently destroyed a drone in its skies.
Ukrainian authorities later said the drone belonged to Ukraine and may have been diverted into Estonian airspace by Russian electronic warfare systems. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry apologized to Estonia over the incident.