{"success":true,"data":{"id":"fc5e9c06-f970-4d8a-ad36-de5c2e61fc6c","title":"Town in Estonia forced to wrap windows to protect children from exploding drones","summary":"Ukraine blames Russian electronic jamming for sending its drones off course","content":"US Edition Change\n\nSupport Now\n\n*   News[News](https://www.independent.co.uk/us)\n\n*   World Cup[World Cup](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup)\n\n*   Sports[Sports](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport)\n\n*   Culture[Culture](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment)\n\n*   Lifestyle[Lifestyle](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style)\n\n*   Money[Money](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money)\n\n*   Travel[Travel](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/travel)\n\n*   Premium[Premium](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium)\n\nMore\n\nMore\n\n### Thank you for registering\n\nPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in\n\n# Town in Estonia forced to wrap windows to protect children from exploding drones\n\n## Ukraine blames Russian electronic jamming for sending its drones off course\n\n[Andrius Sytas](https://www.independent.co.uk/author/andrius-sytas)Friday 24 July 2026 15:48 BST\n\n*   Copy link  \n*   Bookmark  \n*   [Comments](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tartu-estonia-drone-russia-war-b3021075.html#comments-area)Go to comments  \n\n## Bookmark popover\n\nRemoved from bookmarks\n\nClose popover\n\nopen image in gallery\n\nRasmus Maivel installs plastic film to protect a window of an emergency shelter at Kivilinna school, as Estonian schools reinforce windows to protect against attacks, in Tartu, Estonia July 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins(Reuters)\n\n### Your support helps us to tell the story\n\nFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.\n\nAt such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.\n\nThe Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.\n\n**Your support makes all the difference.**\n\nSchools in a town in Estonia have been forced to take measures to protect children against exploding drones.\n\nThe buildings in Tartu, in Eastern Estonia, ​have already experienced a drone heading towards them from the Russian border. They are now putting protective film on windows in case another comes their way.\n\nIn June, schools in Tartu, which is 45 km (28 miles) from the Russian border, were told to ⁠bring their children to shelters as a drone was approaching.\n\nStray Ukrainian drones, carrying bombs intended for targets in Russia but ⁠diverted from their paths, have entered the NATO and European Union country several times this spring.\n\nUkraine blames Russian electronic jamming for sending its drones off course.\n\n\"We didn't know what to do because we were not prepared. We were actually quite scared ourselves,\" the head ⁠of Tartu's Kivilinna secondary school, Karin Lukk, said.\n\nThey did not head to ​shelters ⁠as they had neither the training ‌nor designated spaces for the children, said Lukk. So over the summer holidays, her school, as well as all other schools and kindergartens in Tartu ‌are preparing premises for children to hide if ‌danger reappears, such as school gyms and pools.\n\nIn Ukraine, more people have died from glass broken by explosions than from explosions themselves, Lukk said. So protective film is being applied to ⁠windows of the designated shelters to protect children from shards in case of a nearby exploding drone.\n\nDeputy Mayor of Tartu Martin Bek speaks to the media, as Estonian schools reinforce windows to protect against attacks, in Tartu, Estonia July 23, 2026. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins(Reuters)\n\nLukk's school plans drills to teach children how to react to a drone alert, and will put games and books in the basement to keep them entertained while hiding.\n\n\"I feel much better when I know that the school is doing something. I think, in our world now, there ‌must be preparations,\" said the mother of an 11-year-old girl at ​the school, Airin Treiman Kiveste. \"It's easier for children too\".\n\nThe town's ‌30 schools and 38 kindergartens are ⁠being secured, and generators distributed to residential buildings to keep people warm ⁠in winter during any power cuts, Tartu deputy mayor Martin Bek told Reuters.\n\nOther Estonian towns are ‌thinking of following ​Tartu's example, said Bek, as the Baltic ‌state considers measures that have long been ​widespread in Ukraine: \"Unfortunately these are the times we are living in. We have to do something\".\n\n### More about\n\n## Join our commenting forum\n\nJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies\n\n### Most popular\n\n### Popular videos\n\n### Bulletin","source_name":"The Independent","source_url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tartu-estonia-drone-russia-war-b3021075.html","url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/tartu-estonia-drone-russia-war-b3021075.html","author":"Andrius Sytas","author_name":"Andrius Sytas","published_at":"2026-07-24T14:48:59.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-24T14:48:59.000Z","image_url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/24/15/2026-07-24T141855Z_588587333_RC2NJMAGK9K0_RTRMADP_3_UKRAINE-CRISIS-ESTONIA-SCHOOLS.JPG","category":"world","topic":"world","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":4,"word_count":733,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot","language":null}}