Drone capability development
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th sitting, press briefing
Date: 2025-04-23 16:26
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 10
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 14m
AI Summaries: 10/10 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The agenda for today’s meeting concerned the development of drone capabilities on Estonia’s borders. Member of the Riigikogu Priit Sibul posed a question to the Minister of the Interior, Igor Taro, and the focus was on the impact of a drone wall on border guard activities and the border, funding, and actual implementation. The questions included whether funding had been requested for a drone wall or rather for cooperation between different countries, and what the actual status is—whether and when drone detection and countermeasure capabilities might reach the border. Subsequently, the scope of planned technical solutions and funding was examined, and how they fit into the broader border protection architecture, including customer support, information technology, and a future drone defense network.
The task was also to consider how Estonian entrepreneurs can participate in this field and whether and how joint European funds and national co-financing will contribute to fulfilling policy objectives. The discussion also included legal questions and regulations regarding data collection that may be associated with drone and surveillance systems. Finally, the Minister raised the need for framework agreements and further stages that must be implemented to ensure security and effectiveness on the border.
Decisions Made 1
The meeting did not result in any official decisions; the discussion focused on updates, plans, schedules, and future steps to be taken.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker regarding this agenda was the Minister of the Interior, Igor Tarole (ID: GdeZmpb9biU), who represented the government and provided a thorough overview of the current state of drone capability development and plans. His position is that of a member of the state government and he represents the government's administrative mandate, which places him in the “other” category on the political spectrum scale, not as a direct representative of the left- or right-wing line.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Riigikogu member Priit Sibul asks the Minister of the Interior, Igor Tarole, about the development of drone capability.
Priit Sibul
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Priit Sibul asks whether EU funding or cooperation with other countries was sought for the drone wall, and what the project's actual status, capacity, and timeline for its resolution are.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro announced that for drone detection and countermeasure capability, more than 20 million euros have been obtained from the EU border management funding, the majority going to the development of a fiber-optic network and a small portion to Narva surveillance posts, and the total foreign funding including co-financing is about 80 million euros. Framework agreements for establishing drone detection and countermeasures for the eastern border for the services of the four largest settlements and prefectures will be concluded in the autumn and implemented from spring 2026.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chair, Lauri Hussar, thanks and asks Priit Sibul to pose a clarifying question.
Priit Sibul
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Priit Sibul emphasizes that European resources must be involved in border protection and that both physical border facilities and IT solutions should be used; he refers to Pevkur's promise to have the border ready for construction and to a new phase, and asks whether in a year, with drone capability available, the border will still be in the form we know today.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro said that at the Estonian border both a physical barrier and a drone network are being built: this year the critical points will be covered with a green border, 90 kilometres of fencing and the necessary infrastructure are ready, and by the end of the year a further 15 kilometres will be added, but drone detection and surveillance are not ready, and the entire system will come together in the coming years to cover the border and the larger settlements and to provide additional services, and in the future the drone wall will be seen not as a wall, but as a drone defense network.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairperson thanked the audience and gave Priit Sibul the opportunity to ask the third question.
Priit Sibul
Profiling Isamaa fraktsioonAI Summary
Priit Sibul asked whether cooperation is being carried out with Estonian companies in the field of internal security to better utilize their knowledge and skills in the drone sector, and he asked for a comment on the current topic of cameras that photograph and monitor us on a daily basis, but no one knows about their existence, and what happens next.
Siseminister Igor Taro
AI Summary
Interior Minister Igor Taro said that Estonian companies should actively contribute to solving the border project, and innovative solutions are created more effectively with the involvement of Estonian entrepreneurs, and the state analyzes and discusses the legal frameworks for data collection and storage together with law enforcement agencies, so that the process is clear and transparent.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Thank you, with this we conclude the discussion of the eighth question.