Estonia better prepared for possible Russian aggression than NATO as whole – Defence Minister Pevkur
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur expressed confidence that his country is "better prepared than NATO as a whole" for possible Russian aggression.
He said this in a comment to Politico, Censor.NET reports.
On readiness for a possible attack
Pevkur pointed to Estonia’s conscription system, reserve forces, and the Estonian Defence Forces, which "can be ready to act very quickly", as well as to the large number of military exercises and the presence of NATO troops in the country.
On airspace violations by drones
The Estonian minister was also asked whether Russia was deliberately redirecting Ukrainian drones into Baltic airspace, or whether these were accidental incidents, to which he replied:
"Both options are possible. There are two ways to do this. One is electronic jamming, and the other is signal spoofing."
Pevkur added that Estonian officials must be very "transparent" about what is happening to make sure that Estonian public opinion continues to support Ukraine, as one of Russia’s goals is to undermine support for Kyiv in NATO countries.
Background
- Earlier, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service issued a statement accusing Ukraine of intending to launch combat drones from the Baltic states. Russia also threatened NATO member states with "fair retaliation" and "strikes on decision-making centres in Latvia" if this happens.
- Latvia denied Russia’s claims about "attacks from its territory".
- At the same time, Estonian Defence Minister Pevkur reported on 19 May that a drone had been shot down in the country’s airspace for the first time.
