NATO forces shot down a drone close to a military base occupied by US forces in Estonia. The facility Camp Reedo is less than 30 miles from the Russian border.
Two drones were spotted, and one was shot down. The incident occurred on October 17 but was only recently revealed. It comes amid demands for a more robust response to Russian incursions.
“Allies detected drones flying in the immediate vicinity of the 2nd Infantry Brigade’s military base at 16:30 on 17 October, one of which was brought down with an anti-drone rifle,” said Liis Vaksmann, a spokesperson for the Estonian Defence Forces headquarters.
Estonian military and police forces hunted for the downed drone but failed to locate it. Last month, three Russian MiG-31 fighters entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland and remained for 12 minutes.
Estonia is potentially NATO’s most vulnerable member, threatened by Russian invasion. British troops are also stationed in the country. The Reedo base hosts the US Army’s 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, an armoured reconnaissance unit.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said NATO must be prepared to intercept and shoot down aircraft violating sovereign airspace.
“The message must be unequivocal – future violations will meet a response — including, if necessary, the interception and downing of intruding aircraft,” said foreign minister Marcus Tsahkna.
“This is not only about defending Estonia’s borders — it’s about defending NATO’s borders.”
The incident was revealed as Ukraine staged massive strikes on Russia overnight, inflicting significant damage to oil and petrochemical facilities.
One strike left ATAN oil depot ablaze in Hvardiiske [Gvardeyskoye] in occupied Crimea, where a power plant was also reportedly hit in Simferopol.
The Mari Refinery was struck in Yoshkar-Ola, some 800 miles from the nearest Ukrainian territory.
The NS-Oil Refinery in Novospassk, Ulyanovsk region, was taken out, as Russia suffers crippling petrol price rises and shortages of supplies due to a sustained Ukrainian campaign to bomb oil plants.
The major metro chemical plant, Stavrolen Enterprise, in Budyonnovsk, Stavropol region, was hit, along with a power plant on the site.
Russia staged strikes in Podilsk, Odesa region, where a power station was hit.
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