2 NATO allies report Russian drone impacts amid huge attack on Ukraine
NATO members Estonia and Latvia say Russian drones hit their territory amid one of Moscow's biggest assaults on Ukraine.
March 25, 2026 / 11:04 AM EDT / CBS News
Kyiv — NATO members Estonia and Latvia said Russian drones entered their territory Wednesday morning on the heels of one of Russia's biggest daytime drone attacks on Ukraine since Vladimir Putin launched his country's full-scale invasion four years ago.
Estonia's Internal Security Service said a drone entered the country from Russia and slammed into the chimney of a power station, hours after while Latvia's armed forces reported a Russian drone crashing onto the country's territory without causing any damage.
Russian drones and even fighter jets have entered NATO airspace increasingly throughout the war. Members of the transatlantic defense alliance reported 18 airspace violations by Russian aircraft during 2025, three times more than in 2024.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called the incursions an escalation of Russia's war , which he has always argued is against all of Europe, and he's urged his European partners to strengthen their own air defenses .
The latest drone incursions came hours after one of Russia's largest-scale aerial assaults on Ukraine since the war began. Starting Monday evening, Russia launched nearly 1,000 drones at Ukraine, according to Ukraine's Air Force. More than 550 drones were launched Tuesday afternoon alone, primarily targeting Ukraine's western regions, near its borders with NATO member states.