Estonian president stresses urgent need to accelerate drone barrier, air defense

TALLINN - During a meeting in Kadriorg with Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, Interior Minister Igor Taro, and Director General of the Internal Security Service (ISS) Margo Palloson, Estonian President Alar Karis stressed the need to accelerate the establishment of a drone barrier and layered air defense, as well as the importance of cooperation between security agencies.

"This isolated incident shows that our drone barrier and layered air defense projects are not something Estonia can afford to spend several years on; they must be implemented quickly. This is a matter of public safety and national defense. The focus of drone countermeasures is no longer limited to the eastern border, but requires a much broader perspective," Karis said.

"In drone defense, our national defense institutions also need to work more closely together. National defense is is unified and comprehensive. We must consider whether we can do more so that both the defense forces and the police can jointly detect and respond to such threats," the president added.

A local farmer found pieces of a Ukrainian attack drone on Monday afternoon in the Elva municipality, Tartu County, and an explosion crater was also identified at the site. The Internal Security Service (ISS) said that the drone, equipped with explosives, likely went down in Estonian territory early Sunday morning around 4-5 a.m.