The system includes both fixed installations and mobile radar units mounted on trailers that can be repositioned as threats arise. The Interior Ministry, which oversees the Border Guard, said coverage will extend northward to the city of Narva by the end of the year.
"Recent drone incidents show that we assessed the threats very realistically. Our eastern border is well protected, and enhanced drone capabilities will strengthen the sense of security across all of Europe", Interior Minister Igor Taro said.
Taro was referring to a late-May incident in which a NATO fighter jet, on patrol over the Baltic states, shot down a wayward Ukrainian drone that had entered Estonian airspace from the direction of Latvia. Authorities said the drone, which had been heading toward Russian targets, was knocked off course by Russian electronic warfare, including GPS jamming.
Estonia's border with Russia stretches 338 kilometers. About 76 kilometers run along the Narva River and 127 kilometers along Lake Peipus, from which the river flows into the Gulf of Finland. The southeastern section crosses forested, sparsely populated land.
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Source: Polish Radio, PAP