Key facts
- Prosecutor General Astrid Asi said intruders aimed to set the Threod Systems building on fire and cause an explosion.
- KAPO said its officers' intelligence showed Russia's GRU military intelligence agency commissioned the attack.
- Eight suspects, all residents of Latvia, were detained; five were remanded in custody, authorities said.
- Prime Minister Kristen Michal said Estonia is preparing for the possibility of closing its border with Russia.
- Threod Systems makes long-range reconnaissance and attack drones, according to the report.
- KAPO has warned that Russia is increasingly targeting European defense manufacturers to disrupt production and deliveries to Ukraine.
Estonia's Internal Security Service, known as KAPO, said intelligence gathered by its officers showed that an attempted arson attack on the drone maker Threod Systems was commissioned by Russia's GRU military intelligence agency. The accusation was made on November 15, 2026, a day after the incident.
Intruders were found at Threod Systems in Viimsi, outside the Estonian capital Tallinn, shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday, November 14, trying to break into the building with the aim of setting it on fire and causing an explosion, Prosecutor General Astrid Asi said. Threod's security staff stopped the attack before it could cause significant damage, authorities said.
Eight suspects, all residents of neighboring Latvia, were detained, and five have been remanded in custody. The investigation remains ongoing.
Writing on X, Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the incident was part of what he called Russia's broader hybrid war against Europe, with the aim of decreasing support to Ukraine and pressure on Russia. He added that Estonia is preparing for the possibility of closing its border with Russia to reduce risks to its people and national security.
Estonia's defense ministry said in a statement on X that the country would not be intimidated and would continue supporting Ukraine with its allies.
Threod makes long-range reconnaissance and attack drones. The attempted attack follows an August arson attack on Milrem Robotics, which supplies unmanned ground vehicles to Ukraine; Estonian authorities formally blamed Russian intelligence for that incident in September. KAPO has warned that Russia is increasingly targeting European defense manufacturers to disrupt military production and deliveries to Ukraine.