Crashed drone in Tartu County: Investigation finds no evidence Estonia was a target
A criminal investigation into a drone that crashed in a field in Tartu County in August has been closed, with authorities determining Estonia was not a deliberate target and that it originated in Ukraine.
The investigation was closed by the Internal Security Service (ISS), with the permission of the Office of the Prosecutor General, because it is not possible to continue without assistance from Russia. Due to the geopolitical situation, this is not possible.
The evidence indicates the drone was of Ukrainian origin, which Estonian law enforcement agencies also said at the time it was found. Several days earlier, Ukraine had attacked the Port of Ust-Luga, which is close to Estonia's border.
An expert analysis found traces of explosive substances used in attack drones on parts of the debris.
Evidence also shows the drone likely entered Latvian airspace from Russian airspace and continued in a straight line until it entered Estonian airspace at around 4:45 a.m. on August 24.
It was not possible to establish the exact route of the drone or who was responsible for it ending up on Estonian territory.
The investigation found no indication that the drone had been intentionally directed into Estonia or that Estonia had been a target.
In a statement, State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas said if new evidence emerges that allows the case to be investigated further, the proceedings can be reopened and continued.
"The evidence collected suggests that the drone reached Estonia from Russia via Latvia, which means that further collection of evidence would require a request for legal assistance from Russia. As international legal cooperation with Russia is not functioning, it is currently not possible to gather more information to identify the person responsible for the crime. In such a situation, the Code of Criminal Procedure requires the case to be closed," she said.
Deputy Director General of the ISS, Andres Ratassepp, thanked citizens who notified the law enforcement authorities, followed the Rescue Board's instructions upon discovering the drone, and shared recordings of the drone's flight sounds and the moment of the explosion.
"We live next to an aggressor state that is at war. It cannot be ruled out that we may experience similar incidents again," he said.
This was the first foreign drone found on Estonia's territory. Russian and Belarusian drones have been found in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania since the start of the full-scale invasion.
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Editor: Mait Ots, Helen Wright
