Once in place, the drone wall will cover the entire eastern border with the Russian Federation and major towns inside Estonia.

PPA development expert Hanna Heier told ERR the countermeasures will be used to deal with drones flying over the border and which are primarily used for smuggling, rather than military purposes.

"However, when talking about cities, this is more about those creating dangerous situations — for example, for air traffic, or flying over our sites where flying without permission is forbidden," Heier went on.

At present, the PPA uses mobile detection and countermeasure devices in both scenarios. The planned drone wall will rely on stationary technology, however.

Its implementation is unlikely to bring many major changes to the lives of residents of the eastern border town of Narva, where the unlicensed flying of drones is already banned due to its highly sensitive security situation.

Amateur drone fliers in Tallinn, Tartu, and Pärnu will, once the drone wall is up and running, similarly be visible to the PPA, who will be able to check adherence to regulations.

Heier said: "Perhaps drone pilots have become a bit too comfortable and don't follow the rules as closely when flying drones. This will definitely get more attention; drone pilots will need to stick to the rules."

The drone wall will have the capability of detecting large numbers, in the hundreds, of drones all flying at the same time, though the subsequent measures taken, be it jamming or even knocking a drone off course or out of the sky, cannot be disclosed for security reasons, the PPA said.

The drone wall's height and range at the eastern border will similarly remain classified information; the facility's tech specifications are, in any case,e still being drawn up, based on research and consultation with experts and colleagues in allied and friendly states.

Ukraine has become the world leader in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacture, use, and countermeasures in a wartime situation.

While Estonia's planned drone wall focuses mainly on civil aspects, Ukrainian experts and their experience have been a major help, Heier said.

"Ukraine currently has the best expertise, but we also have to bear in mind that the environment there is somewhat different from Estonia's — so we definitely can't adopt things like-for-like, though we can adapt, plus the Ukrainians have helped us a lot," she continued.

The PPA has said that Estonia's drone wall should be operational by the end of 2027 at the latest. At the same time, with the rate at which tech is evolving, it will never be truly completed. Detection and countermeasure equipment will need continuous modernization.

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