Pieces of the drone were found in a farmer's field in Elva parish, Tartu County at around 3 p.m. on Monday, ISS Director General Margo Palloson said at a press conference on Tuesday morning. No people were injured.

The farmer called the 112 emergency number to report the object.

"Based on very preliminary data, we have reason to believe that this may be a Ukrainian drone that was targeted at inland Russian sites but was diverted from its course by Russia's GPS jamming and other electronic warfare measures, causing it to veer into Estonian airspace. At this time, there is nothing to indicate that it could be a Russian drone," said Palloson.

"At the scene, pieces of the combat drone were found scattered across the field, and a clearly identifiable post-explosion crater was visible," he said. "Based on very preliminary data, we estimate that the drone came down already in the early hours of Sunday, around 4 to 5 a.m."

Palloson said if the drone had fallen on a residential building it could have caused extensive damage.

He said it is possible that the drone entered Estonian airspace from either Russian or Latvian airspace: "Where the drone came from is still being investigated."

Head of the Defense Forces' Intelligence Center Col. Ants Kiviselg reiterated to the media that Russian GPS jamming is aimed at protecting Russia's strategic assets and is not directly targeted at Estonia or other NATO allies.

Kiviselg stressed that the threat level in Estonia has not changed.

The ISS and the Prosecutor's Office have initiated an investigation to clarify the circumstances.

Minister: Low-flying objects are difficult to detect

Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said the drone parts ended up in Estonia because Russia is continuing its war and Ukraine is defending itself. 

He said he had spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart on Monday.

The minister said recent drone incursions in neighboring countries are linked to Russia's GPS signal jamming and spoofing.

"Russia is using very strong GPS jamming and spoofing near our borders. As a result, one day a drone ends up in Lithuania, the next day in Latvia, and now one has reached Estonia. These objects fly at very low altitudes to avoid detection by Russia, and that's precisely why they are difficult to detect," the minister told Postimees newspaper.

At the press conference, Pevkur said Estonia has begun acquiring a new type of radar capable of detecting low-flying objects.

"Can this create full blanket coverage? Theoretically, yes — it depends on how many resources we put into it. Our capabilities will improve significantly. Whether it will be 100 percent coverage, time will tell. At the same time, the war in Ukraine shows that 100 percent coverage does not exist anywhere," he told reporters.

The minister emphasized that if anyone sees a suspicious drone or similar object in the air, they should call 112. "Describe what you see, and the state will proceed according to its protocols," Pevkur said.

Early on Sunday morning, Ukraine attacked Russian targets in the Leningrad region, including the Port of Ust-Luga, close to the Estonian border. The Estonian border guard also monitored another drone, which crashed on Russia's side of Lake Peipus.

Drones flying from Belarus have breached Latvian, Lithuanian, and Polish airspace in recent months. This is the first time a similar incident has been recorded in Estonia. 

The incident comes after months of discussion about how Estonia is responding to drones, their adoption into the Estonian Defense Forces and the lessons that can be learnt from Ukraine. Several former high-ranking defense officials have publicly stated that the process is not moving fast enough and called for action.

Local resident: I heard something fly over the house and then an explosion

Tiiu, who lives near Aakre village in Tartu County, believes she heard the flight and explosion of the drone.

"I heard a strange sound just after five o'clock and something flying over the house. The sound reminded me of a motor scooter. Less than a minute later, there was a loud explosion that made the windows shake," Tiiu told ERR.

"There were quite a few of us who heard it. My brother heard the same bang," she added. Other people living near the village have said they also saw a drone flying overhead.

According to Tiiu, the explosion may have occurred about one and a half kilometers from her house.

She said that when she read the news on Tuesday morning about drone debris found in Estonia, she immediately connected it with the events she had witnessed.

According to unconfirmed information from another source, the drone crashed in a field near Koruste village, roughly five kilometers from Aakre.

Another local resident further south in Võru County, Veljo Runnel, who records bird calls, believes he recorded the drone flying overhead at 4:45 a.m. around Kuutsi.

You can listen to the recording below and see the location on the map above.

This article was updated to add the sound file.

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