Overview
- Baltic and Nordic foreign ministers issued a joint condemnation on May 22 that blamed Russia and Belarus for a disinformation campaign and said the drone incursions are a consequence of Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
- Estonian leaders and NATO officials say Russia is using electronic warfare to jam or spoof satellite navigation and change long-range drone flight paths so some drones drift into NATO territory.
- NATO air defences shot down a drone over Estonia on May 19 and allies have responded with air alerts, a temporary closure at Vilnius airport and other shootdowns and interceptions.
- Kyiv has apologised for unintended incursions while defending its legal right to strike targets in Russia, and Baltic governments have rejected Moscow’s claims that their airspace was used for attacks.
- The incidents have caused local disruption and political strain in the Baltics and raise the risk of misattribution or escalation if stray or redirected strikes continue to be used in disinformation campaigns.