The full details of the incident are not being disclosed, though it is known that the strategic reconnaissance UAV was of a kind regularly used in exercises carried out by NATO allies in the region, and was able to be landed undamaged.

Estonian Air Force spokesperson Siim Verner Teder said the issue is a common one in that Russian radio interference disturbs all aircraft flying in Estonian airspace, thanks to jamming of GPS signals, though upgrades in training and equipment have minimized the negative outcomes of such attacks on military air traffic.

Andrei Menshenin, an aviation expert based in Iceland, told Postimees the Russian Federation is capable of disrupting UAVs' control while in Estonian airspace, but that this would only be a temporary measure, and could not culminate in a drone being damaged, destroyed or captured.

The Russian media itself announced on September 1 that a U.S. "spy drone tirelessly made loops along the border of the Russian Federation from the Leningrad region to Pskov," going on to lose contact and move in a chaotic manner for some time, the Russian media claimed.

The original Postimees English piece, sourced from the publication's Russian-language portal, is here.

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk (pictured) is a high-altitude, remotely-piloted surveillance aircraft which has been in service for over 20 years.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!