Finland’s airspace closures do not change Estonia’s readiness

Finland’s decision to close parts of its airspace during Ukrainian drone attacks has not changed Estonia’s defence readiness, Estonian Air Force Chief of Staff Colonel Fredi Karu told ERR.

Karu said Estonia assesses drone threats independently and makes decisions according to the circumstances. The Estonian Air Force remains on round-the-clock alert and is prepared to respond to all air threats based on their nature, he said.

Ukraine attacked targets near St Petersburg early Tuesday, prompting Finland to partially close its airspace. Ukraine has previously carried out attacks near the city, and there have also been incidents in which drones entered Estonian airspace. Finland has earlier closed parts of its eastern airspace as well.

“Finland is taking measures based on its national threat assessment, and its decisions have not led to changes in the activities or readiness of the Estonian Defence Forces,” Karu said. He declined to disclose specific details.

For security reasons, Karu also refused to share surveillance data related to Tuesday’s attack. He did not say whether Estonia had detected drones or other objects moving near its airspace during the attack.

Asked when Estonia might consider temporarily closing all or part of its airspace, Karu said the country had previously imposed restrictions, including flight restrictions that remain in force in eastern Estonia.

He said such restrictions would require either a direct military threat or an operational need to ensure the defence forces had unobstructed room to operate.

“Estonia and Finland are both NATO members, and their tactics and principles are quite similar: to isolate the danger zone, protect civil aviation and give the defence forces room to assess the threat and intervene if necessary,” Karu said.

The most recent publicly reported tense situation in Estonian airspace occurred on June 3, when a drone fell into a field in Põltsamaa Municipality. Karu said public alerts, including text messages, are issued only when there is an immediate threat directly affecting civilians.

If detected flying objects pose no direct threat to the population or critical infrastructure, the situations are handled at the operational level without causing public alarm, he said.