Silver balls over Tartu, Estonia, turned out to be drone airships
Silver balls seen hovering in the sky over Tartu, Estonia, turned out to be airship-type unmanned aerial vehicles. They are being used during demonstrations as part of the Electromagnetic Warfare Live defense industry event, ERR News reports, citing Maaleht.
Demonstrations near the airfield
The EWLive event is dedicated to electronic warfare, as well as cyber and electromagnetic activity. It began earlier this month and will continue until Thursday. The program includes various demonstrations, including flights of small unmanned aerial vehicles near the airfield and the training building of the Estonian Aviation Academy.
EWLive 2026 is being held at Tartu-Ülenurme Airport for the seventh time. The organizers are Tangent Link, Estonia's Ministry of Defence, and the Estonian Defence Forces. The event is closed and accessible only after registration.
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The organizers said that local residents should not worry: the use of drones is coordinated by the aviation academy.
Features of drone airships
Airship drones, or LTA drones—aircraft lighter than air—are usually filled with helium. This allows them to remain in one place for a long time and operate much more quietly than heavier-than-air drones.
Such aircraft are considered safer in places where people may be present: if they lose power, they descend more slowly. Their ability to hover helps save battery charge. Possible tasks for such drones include surveillance and security, geospatial mapping, gas leak detection, and operating as temporary Wi-Fi or radio communication access points during emergencies. According to ERR News, they have also been used in Ukraine to enhance the capabilities of strike drones.
