Drones entered Estonian and Latvian airspace from Russia overnight on 24–25 March, crashing without casualties in both NATO states, according to LRT. In Estonia, one drone struck a power plant chimney. In Latvia, a second explosion occurred near the borders with Russia and Belarus. Both governments opened investigations, and Estonia's cabinet convened an emergency session.
Drone hits Estonian power plant chimney at Auvere
At 3:43 a.m. on Wednesday, 25 March, a drone entering from Russia struck a chimney at the Auvere power plant in northeastern Estonia's Ida-Viru County. No injuries resulted, and preliminary findings from energy company Enefit Power showed no significant damage to Estonia's electricity system.
Rescue services, including bomb disposal units, were dispatched to the scene. The Prosecutor General's Office opened a legal process. Prosecutor General Astrid Asi said available information suggests the drone was not intentionally directed at Estonia.
Justice Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta convened an extraordinary government meeting later today to discuss the security incident. Estonian officials linked the object to the broader consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine rather than a deliberate attempt to target the country.
Drone enters Latvia from Russia, explodes near Krāslava
A separate drone crossed from Russia into Latvian airspace overnight and detonated near the village of Dobročina in Krāslava district — on the borders with both Russia and Belarus, Latvia's deputy chief of the Joint Staff Egils Leščinskis said. Early warning systems detected a sound resembling an explosion. No civilians sustained injuries, and no damage to civilian infrastructure was reported.
Ukraine’s drones reached a Russian gas plant near the Estonian border — and a ship near Finland
An air defense unit had been dispatched after radar and acoustic sensors detected the approaching object. The investigation is ongoing. Latvia's defence minister, Andris Sprūds, cut short a visit to Ukraine to return home following the incident.
Lithuania's minister: This is a NATO problem
Today, Lithuania's Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Russia's war in Ukraine lies behind the series of drone crashes across the Baltic states.
"It is all because of Russia's war — the war provoked by the aggressor Russia has brought us to this point where drones have fallen in the territories of the three Baltic states within 48 hours. It is clear that air defence is a challenge not only in Lithuania but across all of NATO," he said.
