[67421] Regional tension: Russia accuses Latvia and Estonia of involvement in launching Ukrainian drones

Growing tension around drone penetration into Baltic airspace

On May 19, 2026, it was reported that Estonian air defense forces shot down a drone that had penetrated the country's airspace for the first time. The Estonian Minister of Defense, Hanno Pevkur, noted in TSN News that it was likely a Ukrainian drone that was on its way to targets in Russia. Following the incident, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that Russia is using electronic warfare (REW) means to deliberately divert Ukrainian drones toward the airspace of the Baltic states with the goal of sowing provocations, and conveyed a formal apology to Estonia and its partners regarding the incident.

At the same time, Russia has sharpened its diplomatic tone, as the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service accused Ukraine of using Latvian territory for launching attacks against Russia. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and official figures in Latvia, including President Edgars Rinkēvičs (as reported in We Ukraine), rejected the claims outright, labeling them "lies" and a propaganda campaign aimed at undermining regional stability and harming NATO.

Security officials, including Andriy Kovalenko from the Center for Countering Disinformation (according to UA.NEWS), warned that this aggressive rhetoric from Moscow might signal preparations for actual provocations against the NATO alliance. Diplomatic sources confirmed that the issue was raised for discussion in alliance forums.

Meanwhile, fierce fighting continues on the front lines. The SPRAVDI organization notes that Russia is operating disinformation networks (FIMI) to justify attacks against civilians in Ukraine as "retaliation" for Kyiv's drone activity. On the ground, the Ukrainian army continues to report technological achievements, such as the shooting down of dozens of Russian drones by units like the 47th "Magura" (according to ArmyINFORM), which constitute a central pillar of Ukraine's defense and offensive strategy.