Estonian Civilians Train with Drones Amid Fears of Eastern Threat

In Estonia, civilians are actively learning to operate drones, preparing for potential conflict with their large eastern neighbor. The initiative reflects a palpable fear of war and a desire among citizens to contribute to the country's defense capabilities. Entrepreneur Taavi Kotka is spearheading these drone courses, collaborating with the Ministry of Defence and the voluntary defense organization Kaitseliit. Located a few kilometers outside the capital, Tallinn, the training facilities utilize both simulators and actual drones. Kotka emphasizes the objective: "The task is to find infantry and kill it. So we have to find some Russians running around here." He instructs participants, "They shoot at you if you come close. You don't have to hit directly, but within a radius of five meters." The program, named 'Kuri kotkas' (angry eagle), offers five levels of training, from basic to advanced. The ultimate goal is to have tens of thousands of Estonians capable of building drones or using them for reconnaissance, bombing, and other military applications. Kotka repeatedly stresses that Estonia is a small nation, and widespread drone knowledge among civilian volunteers could prove critical in a real conflict. Instructor Andres Lilleste, who works a civilian job during the week, volunteers his weekends in uniform for Kaitseliit. He describes the training as having "a small military touch" due to instructors' backgrounds in police or defense. "Our purpose is to ensure that we have more people willing to defend Estonia," he stated. While drones are crucial in modern warfare, Kotka acknowledges they won't replace frontline soldiers. "You cannot occupy a country with a drone. You can attack with a drone, you can destroy infrastructure, but you cannot occupy. To occupy a country, you need people on the ground," he explained. The youngest participants are 16, and the oldest is 73, with about 20 percent being women. Special sessions for women are highly popular, as Kotka notes, "if you remove the men, women become more interested."

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If it were to become war, then all civilians would become soldiers.