Estonia is planning an air raid alert app that should show residents the direction of movement of drones and other aerial threats. The Ukrainian experience is being used as a model. Approximately six months are allotted for development, but the app has not yet been launched.
The plans were announced by public broadcaster ERR on November 13. Minister of Defence Martin Herem spoke about them in a television broadcast on November 12. According to his idea, people should see which populated area a threat is approaching, rather than only receive a siren signal and a short message.
The initiative comes amid Estonia's broader preparation for crises and possible military threats. Official security policy envisages participation of the whole society in defence and maintenance of the functioning of state agencies, municipalities and vital services in wartime.
A similar approach is set out in documents of the Latvian Ministry of Defence: civil protection must ensure the basic needs of the population and cooperation of civilian and military structures, including in the event of invasion or war. There it is directly considered part of the national security system.
The Ukrainian experience in this story is more detailed informing of people about the air situation. As ERR explains, some of such data is accessible to the public, and applications combine them for users. The Estonian minister hopes that visual information will help make decisions and reduce anxiety.
According to the minister's adviser Mati Tikerpuu, funding is available, but the final cost will depend on the chosen partner. The technical solution is still under discussion. The ministry also allows opening part of the data to third-party developers.
Danger alerts in Estonia already work: EE-ALARM uses SMS, sirens and the apps Eesti äpp and Ole valmis!. The new project places emphasis on visualising the movement of threats. Separately, Cell Broadcast is being tested - delivery of emergency warnings via mobile network; this channel is planned to be connected to the system in 2027.
For Ukrainians living or staying in Estonia, the current channels are relevant. The state portal kriis.ee reports that SMS for foreign SIM cards in the risk zone may come from the number +372 5950 0000. Official warnings can be checked on the same portal. When ordered to take immediate shelter, the official instruction recommends entering the nearest building and staying away from windows.
In the published state risk assessment, the Russian threat is called long-term. At the same time, it notes the absence of an immediate military threat to Estonia: state preparation is designed for possible scenarios of deteriorating security.
Source: ERR, Estonian Ministry of Defence, Latvian Ministry of Defence, Estonian Government Office, portal kriis.ee, information on Cell Broadcast testing, instructions Olevalmis.ee.
