Volodymyr Zelenskyy security detail totals nearly 1,000 personnel
Security ahead of and during President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy's official visit to Tallinn on Thursday involved close to a thousand Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and other personnel.
PPA northern prefecture head Veiko Vaher told ERR that the operation had been a success, particularly on one key indicator: "Our task was simple - to ensure that President Zelensky leaves the country alive."
"To this end we utilized all possible measures. We would like to thank all the people of Estonia for comprehending why we did so," Vaher went on.
This level of security led to the inevitable hold-ups in central Tallinn from early Thursday morning; " to those who were made late for exams, or to doctors' appointments, we sincerely apologize. I hope they understood the reasons. Naturally, we could not publicly report on the schedule and routes - we did everything to ensure that the president's life was not endangered at any point," Vaher went on.
Security precautions included ID spot checks on members of the public, who were advised to carry their ID card with them if out and about in central Tallinn on Thursday.
The Ukrainian president gave joint press conferences with President Alar Karis and Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, and addressed the Riigikogu.
He arrived in Tallinn Wednesday night, having already visited the Lithuanian capital, moving on to Riga Thursday afternoon.
A report on the website of evening paper Õhtuleht stated that one of the challenges the PPA faced, along with other internal security authorities, was investigating a large truck parked on the route the Ukrainian president's motorcade was due to take.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Aleksander Krjukov