A U.S. soldier assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division uses a Dronebuster in an exercise at Camp Reedo, Estonia, May 14, 2025. Two drones were spotted near the military base in southern Estonia on Oct. 17, and one of them was shot down. (Austin Steinborn/U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — A suspicious drone flying near a base used by U.S. forces in Estonia was recently shot down, authorities in the Baltic country bordering Russia said this week.
The incident occurred near Camp Reedo in southern Estonia, where one of the aircraft that allies spotted was shot down with an anti-drone gun, Estonian defense spokeswoman Liis Vaksmann told the regional news outlet Postimees on Tuesday.
It was unclear Wednesday whether U.S. soldiers had any part in tracking or shooting down the aircraft. U.S. Army Europe and Africa referred questions about the situation to Estonian officials, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The U.S. Army’s 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment is currently on a rotational mission in Estonia.
The incident happened Oct. 17 at about 4:30 p.m. and came to light Tuesday after the local news report. Estonian troops, police and border guard authorities didn’t find the drone in the area where it was presumably shot down, Postimees reported.
The U.S. military has kept a steady presence in recent years in Estonia, where its mission centers on deterring potential Russian aggression while helping local forces build up their own capabilities.
Soldiers assigned to the Army’s 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment do maintenance work on an Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle at Camp Reedo, Estonia, March 13, 2025. Two drones of unknown origin were spotted near the base in southern Estonia on Oct. 17, and one of them was shot down. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and)
A U.S. soldier assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division uses a Dronebuster in an exercise at Camp Reedo, Estonia, May 14, 2025. Two drones were spotted near the military base in southern Estonia on Oct. 17, and one of them was shot down. (Austin Steinborn/U.S. Army)
The drone downing near Camp Reedo comes in the wake of a Russian fighter jet incursion into Estonian airspace, prompting emergency talks inside NATO about that incident.
Allies on NATO’s eastern flank have been on edge in connection with various Russian incursions, such as a swarm of drones that entered into Polish airspace in September.
That prompted NATO aircraft to shoot down numerous drones, marking the first time in alliance history that it was forced to take such defensive action in the bloc’s airspace.
Meanwhile, other Baltic countries have seen incursions in recent days.
On Monday, Lithuania said it was shutting its border with Russian ally Belarus after a series of airspace violations by suspicious weather balloons used for smuggling contraband. The situation caused closures of Vilnius’ airport.
Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said Monday that the country was prepared to shoot down intruding aircraft in the future.
