Defense Forces propose temporary no-fly zone over eastern Estonia
The Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) have proposed establishing a temporary no-fly zone in eastern Estonia to enable a more effective response to potential airspace violations.
The proposal was made by EDF Commander Andrus Merilo and confirmed by Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform), who said Estonia and Latvia agreed it made sense to coordinate the restriction jointly at night.
The no-fly zone will be active in the coming weeks between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. During this period, normal civil aviation activities, including the use of hobby drones, will be prohibited in the area.
The restriction applies up to 6,000 meters in altitude, and in the Tartu airfield area normal flights will resume at 7 a.m. on Friday. The area covers the airspace from north to south along the line from Pedassaare to the eastern shore of Lake Võrtsjärv to the eastern border of Estonia.
The no-fly zone has been established due to the need for the EDF to conduct more precise air surveillance, training exercises and more flexible air security in the area over the coming weeks, while also ensuring the safety of air traffic.
The EDF's threat assessment level has not changed — there is currently no immediate military threat to Estonia. However, Pevkur noted the step was understandable in light of recent events in Poland.
However, the frequency of air incidents in the region has been rising due to Russia's military actions against Ukraine, and similar no-fly zones have already been established by Finland and Latvia. Latvia announced earlier in the day that it was partly closing its airspace from 6 p.m. Thursday for at least a week, as a preventive step to make air traffic safer and strengthen air defense capabilities.
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Editor: Michael Cole, Johanna Alvin, Andrew Whyte
Source: Delfi
