A local resident in Rõuge Parish, Võru County, found a drone with an explosive device in a field. According to the Estonian Internal Security Service, known as KaPo, information about the discovery was received on the evening of June 10.
The case was confirmed to ERR by KaPo bureau chief Harris Puusepp.
According to Puusepp, the man had gone to mow grass when he noticed the unmanned aerial vehicle in tall vegetation. Some fragments were found in a tree, which suggests that the drone may have first struck the tree before falling into the field.
Around five kilograms of explosives were attached to the drone
Harris Puusepp confirmed that an explosive device weighing around five kilograms had been attached to the drone.
KaPo considers such a drone dangerous. Anyone who finds a similar object must not approach it, touch it or try to inspect it independently. The discovery should be reported immediately by calling 112.
The drone may be linked to the June 3 warning
According to the preliminary version, the drone found in Rõuge may be one of the unmanned aerial vehicles that prompted the Estonian Defence Forces to issue an early-morning warning on June 3.
At the time, Air Force radars detected possible drones. Ground units of the Defence Forces and allied fighter jets assigned to the Baltic Air Policing mission were deployed to check the threat.
Puusepp said the radar track of the suspected drone disappeared not far from the place where the wreckage was later found.
On June 3, the Defence Forces first reported a possible drone threat in Lääne-Viru County and Ida-Viru County. The warning was later extended to Tartu County, Jõgeva County, Viljandi County, Valga County, Võru County and Põlva County. The air threat was cancelled at 5:52 a.m.
Later that day, the Defence Forces said that no drones had been found on Estonian territory during the search.
Why the discovery was not reported immediately
According to Harris Puusepp, the incident was not made public immediately because large-scale Ilves exercises were taking place at the time and required additional resources.
He said investigators responded to the incident, and the danger zone was secured so that random people could not enter the area.
KaPo also said that no other fallen drones have currently been found in Estonia.
What is known about the possible origin
According to the version reported by ERR, the drone may have fallen in early June during a Ukrainian attack on targets in Russia.
On the night of June 3, Ukraine carried out strikes on a military plant in Russia’s Tambov region, an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and a naval base in Kronstadt. It was also reported that some drones may have been heading toward Moscow.
The exact model of the drone found in Estonia, the type of explosives, the flight route and the reason for the crash have not been publicly disclosed.
What to do if a drone or wreckage is found
The official instruction for residents is not to approach a suspicious object, not to touch it, to move to a safe distance, warn people nearby and immediately call 112.
Residents are also asked not to publish the location of the discovery on social media and not to share photos of a fallen drone, in order not to attract outsiders to the scene.
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