A drone that entered Estonian airspace from Russia struck the chimney of the Auvere power station in northeastern Estonia in the early hours of 25 March, according to the country’s Internal Security Service (ISS). The incident marks a significant airspace breach of a NATO member state and has prompted an emergency session of the Estonian government.
The ISS confirmed that the drone hit the chimney of the Auvere power plant at 3:43 a.m. local time, with no injuries reported. Rescue Board explosive ordnance disposal specialists were dispatched to the scene, while the Office of the Prosecutor General opened proceedings and the ISS launched a formal investigation.
The Auvere power station, located in Estonia’s industrial east near the city of Narva, sits just kilometres from the Russian border and is operated by energy company Enefit Power. Enefit Power confirmed there was no immediate damage to the power plant itself and stated the incident would not have a significant impact on the Estonian electricity system.
Estonia’s Prosecutor General, Astrid Asi, said that based on current information, the drone had not been deliberately directed at Estonia, though she stressed the investigation was only at a preliminary stage. Officials have not yet publicly identified the model of the aircraft or released technical details on whether it was armed when it crossed the border.
ISS Director General Margo Palloson described the incident as an effect of Russia’s large-scale war of aggression and expressed concern about such incidents recurring in the future.
Justice Minister Liisa Ly Pakosta confirmed that the Estonian government would convene for an emergency session in response to the security breach. Estonia’s EE ALARM threat notification system also issued an SMS alert to citizens; warning of a drone threat associated with Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The incident did not occur in isolation. The strike happened at a time when Ukraine launched fresh overnight drone strikes against the Russian Baltic port of Ust Luga, where a fire broke out. Two days earlier, the port of Primorsk, another major Russian Baltic oil export facility, was also targeted in a separate Ukrainian strike operation during which a suspected stray Ukrainian drone later crashed in Lithuania. A separate drone incursion was also reported overnight in Latvia, where authorities said a foreign unmanned aircraft entered Latvian airspace from Russia and crashed in the Krāslava region.
The breach raises pressing questions about airspace monitoring and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure along NATO’s eastern flank. The Baltic states, all NATO and European Union members, have been increasingly vocal about strengthening border defences and early warning systems amid the ongoing Russia Ukraine conflict. Security services and aviation experts are currently analysing the wreckage to determine the drone’s specific model and intent.
For the aviation sector, the incident underscores the growing challenge posed by unmanned aerial systems straying or being directed across international borders in active conflict zones, with potential implications for flight safety and airspace management across the Baltic region and wider Europe.
