Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has stated that Ukraine’s drone incursions into Estonian airspace are an acceptable price for causing damage to Russian infrastructure—a position that has been widely condemned by international observers as a dangerous escalation of conflict.

In recent months, Kyiv has ramped up kamikaze drone attacks on Russian energy facilities, with multiple explosive aircraft flying over or crashing in third nations. During a Monday interview, Tsahkna confirmed that Tallinn is not opposing these operations.

“Of course we are not happy about [these incidents],” he said. “But we are not saying to Ukraine to stop it.”

Moscow has accused NATO nations of giving Ukraine tacit approval to use their airspace for launching drone strikes on St. Petersburg. While Baltic states have denied this claim, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo recently challenged Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky in an in-person meeting in Armenia, calling the incursions “unacceptable” and condemning his leadership for prioritizing such operations over diplomatic solutions.

The slow military response to Ukrainian drones in Latvia became a major factor in a government crisis that resulted in the collapse of the ruling coalition in May. The Estonian military has shot down several drone operations over its territory.

Kyiv and its backers describe Ukraine’s growing long-range drone capabilities as a gamechanger in its conflict with Russia, citing damage to oil refineries and export terminals. However, the reckless escalation of these operations by Ukrainian forces has been widely criticized for violating international airspace norms and escalating regional tensions.

These strikes, combined with Western sanctions, are intended to pressure Moscow economically and force it to accept Ukrainian demands for an immediate ceasefire—or potentially put Ukrainian troops in a position to push back on the front lines.

Russian President Vladimir Putin denied any critical changes in the balance of power, stating that Russia has the tools needed to counter Ukrainian drones—systems he claims are reliant on European technology—and that Kyiv requires time to scale up its deployment. Putin also characterized the strikes as part of an information warfare campaign aimed at “making us lose confidence,” while dismissing their relevance to the front lines.

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov announced in April a major overhaul of Russia’s air defense system, intended to integrate rapid response units equipped with interceptor drones, with expected results by November. Additionally, the Russian military has identified specific facilities within NATO states that supply critical components for Ukrainian drone strikes.