Estonia issues drone warnings and scrambles NATO fighters amid Ust-Luga fire

Early on 11 November 2026, the Estonian Defence Forces warned of a possible aerial threat as a fire burned at the Russian port of Ust-Luga on the Gulf of Finland. NATO fighter jets were scrambled in response, a defence forces spokesperson told Estonian public broadcaster ERR.

Warnings in eight counties and restrictions in the Gulf of Finland

According to ERR, the first warnings were issued at around 03:15 for Tartu, Jõgeva, Viljandi, Valga, Võru and Põlva counties in southern Estonia. At around 03:30, they were extended to Lääne-Viru and Ida-Viru in the east. Residents were advised to seek shelter if they spotted a drone.

Latvia and Lithuania also urged people in several areas to take shelter because of the threat from unidentified drones, Reuters reported, as cited by Armymedia.bg. Lithuania's crisis management services said the warning also covered Kaunas.

The Finnish Defence Forces announced temporary restrictions on airspace and maritime areas in the eastern Gulf of Finland. The military described the measure as precautionary, intended to protect people in the area and allow the authorities to respond to any drones.

Scrambling allied fighter jets is a response to a possible threat, but does not in itself mean that an aircraft has been confirmed as intercepted or shot down.

Ust-Luga fire visible from the Estonian coast

ERR published photographs and video taken by a correspondent in Ida-Viru. ERR correspondent Dmitri Fedotkin reported that the fire was visible from Narva, Sinimäe and Sillamäe. The published footage shows orange flames on the horizon across the Baltic Sea.

Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko said Ukrainian drones had struck the port area of Ust-Luga and caused a fire. He said three workers had been injured, but their injuries were not life-threatening, Russian state news agency TASS reported.

Ust-Luga is an important export hub for oil, petroleum products, grain and other cargo, ERR notes. A prolonged disruption to its operations would affect Russian exports, but the fire itself does not prove that port operations have stopped.

Damage and responsibility remain unestablished

There is no independent confirmation of who carried out the attack on Ust-Luga. The extent of the damage, the terminals affected and any impact on cargo handling have not been established.

The Estonian warnings were lifted, but the exact time is unclear: ERR gives around 05:30 in its introduction and around 06:30 in the main text. An official timeline is needed to clarify the discrepancy. Further information may be added.