Probe finds no evidence of deliberate attack in Auvere drone incident

Estonia’s prosecutor’s office has closed its investigation into a drone that struck the chimney of the Auvere power plant, saying it could not establish the drone’s origin or the precise circumstances of the incident. The investigation found no grounds to believe the incident was a deliberate attack on Estonia, ERR reports.

State prosecutor Gardi Anderson said the drone was so extensively destroyed in the collision and explosion that its origin could not be reliably determined from the surviving parts. Prosecutors said they had taken reasonable steps to establish what happened, but the evidence did not allow the investigation to continue effectively or anyone’s responsibility to be established.

Anderson said the investigation could be reopened if new information or evidence emerges. The Estonian Internal Security Service also said the evidence did not indicate that the drone’s arrival at the power plant was deliberate action against Estonia.

Deputy director of the security service Andres Ratassepp said similar incidents could occur while Russia continues its aggression in Ukraine. He urged people who find drones to keep their distance and report them.

The drone hit the Auvere power plant chimney at 3:43 a.m. on March 25, causing an explosion and damaging the chimney. No one was injured, and the incident did not affect the operation of the electricity system.

Investigators considered whether the drone could have been Ukrainian and had strayed from its course. They consulted Ukrainian experts and commissioned an examination, but the information gathered did not establish the drone’s origin.