TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — A Romanian F-16 jet belonging to NATO air policing forces in the Baltics on Tuesday shot down what is believed to have been a Ukrainian drone over southern Estonia, authorities said.
Given the trajectory of the drone, “we decided that we need to take it down,” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.
“Most probably, today we can say that it was (a) drone which was, let’s say, meant to hit some Russian targets,” he told The Associated Press.
It was the latest in a string of incidents in recent months in which Ukrainian drones aimed at Russia have crossed or come down in NATO territory. Those incidents have come as Kyiv has steadily ramped up its drone raids, focusing on Russian energy facilities and arms factories.
On Sunday, authorities in Russia said that one of the largest Ukrainian drone strikes on the country killed at least four people, including three near Moscow, and wounded a dozen others.
Ukraine’s ability to break through Russian air defenses reflect the growth in the number of its drones, along with its enhanced tactics.
Estonia's defense minister said that Ukraine has been advised to be careful.
“Our messages have not changed,” Pevkur said. “We’ve said to the Ukrainians all the time that if you’re attacking Russian positions or Russian targets, then these trajectories have to be as far from the NATO territory as possible.”
