NATO Scrambles Jets After Drones Enter Baltic Airspace

NATO fighter jets were scrambled over Estonia and Latvia early on September 1, 2026, after drones crossed into allied airspace during a large-scale Ukrainian attack on Russian targets and a massive Russian aerial barrage on Ukraine. The incidents marked a significant spillover of the war onto NATO's eastern flank, prompting public alerts across multiple regions and activating the alliance's air policing mission. The crisis began around 2 a.m. local time when Estonian air defenses detected approximately a dozen drones operating near the country's eastern border.