On Wednesday morning, a nationwide alert was issued after Ukrainian drones crossed Estonia's eastern border. One hit a chimney of the Auvere Power Plant in Ida-Viru County.

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday lunchtime, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said the target of Ukraine's drone attack was the Baltic port of Ust-Luga, which serves Russia's shadow fleet vessels.

Ukrainian drones hit Ust-Luga and its surrounding area in Leningrad oblast in three waves, from around 3 a.m., then at 6 a.m., with the final wave taking place around 8 a.m.

The prime minister said some of the drones from all three waves moved towards or into Estonian airspace. "A nationwide alert was also issued in connection with the last wave," he said.

This alert was sent nationwide, rather than to the northeast of Estonia, adjacent to the border with Russia.

Last night's drone incident in Estonia reflects the spillover of Russia's war against Ukraine, now in its fifth year. This drone was not directed at us. There were no casualties.

An investigation is ongoing, and we are working closely with allies in the region.

Tomorrow at the… pic.twitter.com/Z7GrSpEZBb

— Kristen Michal (@KristenMichalPM) March 25, 2026

"This alert should have been sent to the Ida-Viru region; instead, it was sent across all of Estonia, which caused additional confusion. But it is better that the alert was sent than that it not work at all," the prime minister went on.

Ust-Luga lies less than 50 kilometers from Auvere, Ida-Viru County, where a power station chimney was hit by a drone at around 3:43 a.m. Wednesday.

Also appearing at Wednesday's press conference, Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said that after the intensified drone attacks in the Leningrad oblast area, the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) stepped up alertness levels.

Pevkur put the figure of Ukrainian drones used in the strikes at around 100. In addition to the object that struck the Auvere power plant chimney, causing damage but not affecting the electricity infrastructure, "several" crossed Estonia's maritime border over the Gulf of Finland, Pevkur said, as well as one drone crashing in southeastern Latvia.

Other drones having fallen elsewhere, for instance, into the sea, cannot be ruled out, the minister said.

Pevkur urged the public to exercise caution if they encounter drones, fragments of drones or anything that they think might be related to military drones, which by their nature carry explosives.

The EDF also established a no-fly zone in eastern Estonia, which, according to Pevkur, is expected to remain in effect for a few days, and planes from NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission, which flies out of Ämari base, were scrambled.

"Fighter jets were in the air. If people in Ida-Viru County heard low-flying fighter jets early in the morning, that was a deliberate action on our part," Pevkur said.

Italy's air force currently holds the NATO air mission. Pevkur would not specify exactly when the Italian fighter jets took off but noted that they circled overhead "for some time."

Flights in and out of Tallinn and Tartu have not been disrupted.

Interior Minister Igor Taro (Eesti 200), who was also at the press conference, said that Estonia is currently in a peacetime state. Various facilities are being protected using peacetime means and capabilities, he noted.

The prime minister said it would not be rational to assume all drones originating from Russian airspace could be intercepted, noting that some will slip through the net.

"The idea that we could put up a wall with Russia so that nothing ever crosses it is not realistic. No one can create a border or a fortress like that," Michal said.

Minister: 'Drone wall' term abandoned

Taro added that Estonia has abandoned the term "drone wall," as in reality, the drone threat may not only affect areas close to the eastern border.

The interior minister rebuffed claims that drones have been flying across the entire country. "We have repeatedly observed in our monitoring data how these devices move along our border," Taro said.

Russian anti-drone countermeasures may have caused the drones to stray into Estonian airspace, he added. "Since Russia also employs countermeasures, due to GPS jamming or spoofing, these disruptive measures can cause objects to stray into our territory, and this is likely to continue."

Director General of the Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) Margo Palloson said that the drone hit the Auvere chimney a couple of minutes after entering Estonian airspace, and that the collision caused an explosion.

"A preliminary inspection of the drone wreckage indicates that it is indeed a drone of Ukrainian origin," Palloson said. "We are examining the scene and collecting drone fragments to determine more precisely what we are dealing with."

Palloson also urged members of the public who may have video recordings of any of the drones to submit them to the ISS. He added that as long as Russia's war in Ukraine continues, such incidents may still occur.

Eesti Energia chair: We received prior warning

Andrus Durejko, board chair of Eesti Energia, whose subsidiary operates the Auvere plant, said the facility remains operational; it is currently being held in reserve, due to electricity price considerations, he said. The extent of the damage to the chimney and the power station will become clear during the course of the analysis, Durejko added, but the damage inflicted does not hinder the plant's operation.

Eesti Energia had received prior warning of the drone flight, he went on, and the control center responded to the drone explosion. First responders and ISS personnel were called in once the drone debris had been located, Durejko said.

If you spot what may be a drone in flight, or drone fragments and debris on the ground, this can be reported to the national emergency number on 112, or the state information hotline on 1247. Operators speak English. Under no circumstances should you approach drone debris.

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