Zelenskyy explains how Ukraine can help Baltic states deal with stray drones

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine can send expert teams to the Baltic states to help them defend against stray drones that have increasingly entered their airspace in recent months.

Zelenskyy was asked at a press conference in Tallinn whether Ukraine plans to respond to drone incidents in the Baltic states, including cases involving Ukrainian drones that had gone off course.

The president said Ukraine will continue carrying out long-range strikes against targets inside Russia. He stressed that Russia seeks to escalate tensions within the European Union and sometimes alters the course of Ukrainian drones.

"During our responses to various Russian attacks, if a Russian drone appears in the skies over Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia, it is clear why. And when a Ukrainian drone appears, we understand that they can alter the course of our drones. This is not happening on a large scale. There have been isolated cases due to electronic warfare," he said.

Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine had previously sent drone experts to countries in the Middle East and is now prepared to do the same for the Baltic states and other European countries.

"We did this in the Middle East and it worked. Now we are ready to do the same with our close partners in Europe. We are prepared for this," the president said.

Zelenskyy added that one possible solution could be a drone deal regulating such cooperation.

"A drone deal is not only about selling or buying something. It also covers important issues such as the ones we are discussing now. Therefore, we are ready at any time to send our expert teams, and we are already doing this and will continue doing so with our close partners," he added.

In recent months, incidents involving Ukrainian drones entering the airspace of the Baltic states and Finland after straying off course have become more frequent.

Earlier this month, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas announced that Ukrainian air defence experts would arrive in Lithuania to help strengthen protection against stray drones.

Politico reported that amid incidents involving drones entering EU airspace, the Baltic states have turned to Ukraine for expertise in the construction of bomb shelters.