The Estonian police only know the publically reported information about the case, he said.

"We assess the situation and the risks all the time anyway and try to be prepared for the worst. The assassination attempt was certainly a learning experience for us, but at the moment we do not see that we need to fundamentally change anything," Viltsin added.

He said there have been no assassination attempts on Estonian politicians.

Viltsin did not want to comment on the work of the Slovakian police, but said, looking at the videos, Fico's security guards appeared to be very professional.

"Unfortunately, this case is also proof that, if threats are overlooked in the planning phase, then the only thing left to do is react later on," he added.

The war in Ukraine and tensions in Estonian society have introduced more preventive work for the CCP.

"Yes, there are tensions in society, the war in Ukraine is one thing, but the economy is not doing the best either. This is reflected in people's discontent. We are certainly also prepared for the fact that inevitably there may be people who, as in Slovakia, find a violent solution to their despair. What we have done more is to engage in preventive action. We look at the context and we analyze, and we are also prepared to protect those individuals who we do not protect on a daily basis today. For example, in 2022, when there was the tank conversion in Narva, we protected the mayor of Narva, Katri Raik," Viltsin said.

While this may sound like a simple process, it involves threat analysis, and allocating the correct number of officers and vehicles, he said, declining to go into detail.

"There are very different methods: this is the kind of work where you have to find the most optimal and reasonable solution for the situation," Viltsin said.

Estonia is relatively safe

Viltsin hopes that the current situation in Estonia, where politicians can move around like ordinary people without visible protection, will not change.

"Estonia is still a relatively safe place and I do not think we need to worry too much in the light of the Slovak case. But, of course, we can never see into people's heads and, unfortunately, we have to be prepared for the fact that there will be people who have mental health problems and the Slovak case may also have the effect that someone wants to copy it. That is certainly disturbing for us," he said. "I hope that all people in Estonia will be able to take a peaceful walk in the park on their own without worrying about their safety. But if the threat assessment is such that we have to be ready and we have to be somewhere close, then we will be."

The official said if a person sees Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) walking in the park with her friend without a visible security guard, it does not mean that she is unprotected.

"Either there's a bodyguard moving around in the park right behind them or we're somewhere close by, in visual sight and ready to respond. Again, it all depends entirely on the situation. The prime minister also needs to be able to socialize with her friends or family and be together without having to bear the gaze of a bodyguard on her back all the time," Viltsin said.

If the prime minister goes to a public event announced in advance, such as to meet the people in Võru, then extra security is called in.

"Yes, we will certainly be out in force then. We will certainly be paying much more serious attention to it, and not just with a physical presence, but we will have done some prior analysis and background research and threat identification with partners," Viltsin said. 

Cooperation is important when ensuring security.

"You cannot do it alone. We have partners within the police across a very broad spectrum: different local police forces and criminal investigators. Certainly also in the field of internal security – with the Police Protection Agency we work closely with the Rescue Board on inspections of various sites, for example, to detect threats from explosive devices or radiation," he said.

Partners outside homeland security also play an important role in ensuring security. "Everyone who organizes an event, security companies, local authorities. The bigger the event gets, especially when we are talking about international meetings, the more partners there are and the bigger the role of those partners in providing security there," Viltsin said.

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