In the early morning of September 27, in a protected nature zone along the coast of Pärnu County, a local resident discovered a fragment of an unknown drone, presumably from a foreign state. According to preliminary data, it concerns a part of a large drone that could have been carried to the shoreline from the sea, the Estonian broadcaster ERR reports citing law enforcement authorities.
At the scene, staff from Kapo, the Police and Border Guard Department, and the Rescue Department arrived and are collecting evidence about how the UAV fragment ended up on the Estonian coast and under what circumstances it ended up in the sea.
According to Prosecutor Taavi Pern, there are currently no grounds to believe that the drone entered Estonia or posed a threat to aviation safety, and based on available data it did not contain explosive substances.
However, Kapo is examining the circumstances of what happened within the framework of a criminal proceeding opened as far back as 2022 to gather evidence of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. If necessary, we will also share information with partners from other countries
– Taavi Pern, Prosecutor
The investigation is ongoing: data are being supplemented, details of the incident are being clarified, and specialists are considering all possible versions of how the fragment appeared on Estonia’s shores.
Context of the investigation and next steps
The law enforcement authorities emphasize that they are gathering evidence to determine the causes of the incident and its potential consequences, and are also considering the possibility of international information exchange with partners for a fuller understanding of the situation.