Twenty-five floating markers were removed by the Russian border guard at around 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) said in a statement.

Buoys have been placed on the river for decades to prevent navigation errors.  

Estonia installed the markers in its waters based on the State Borders Act and the buoys' locations were agreed by the border agencies in 2022.

However, in 2023, Russia disagreed with the locations of approximately half of the 250 markers. Some of those removed on Thursday morning were at those locations disputed by Russia.

The first 50 were placed in the Narva River 10 days ago on May 13.

Eerik Purgel, head of the PPA's Eastern Prefecture, said Russia has not yet explained its actions.

"The Police and Border Guard Board will contact the Russian Border Guard and request clarifications on the removal of the buoys and return of buoys. The Police and Border Guard Board expects evidence from Russia that the position of the shipping route agreed so far has changed and, if they are not presented, we will continue to install buoys," he said in a statement.

"Whereas the temporary control line is permanently marked at the land border, the riverbed changes over time, which is why we recheck the marking of the shipping routes every spring. While before the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the installation of buoys largely passed by mutual agreement, then from 2023 Russia does not agree with Estonia's positions regarding the location of the buoys. We decided to release the floating marks into the water for the summer season according to the 2022 agreement, because they are necessary to avoid navigational errors, so that our fishermen and other hobbyists do not accidentally wander into Russian waters," Purgel said.

Government seeking clarity

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) said at the government's weekly press conference on Thursday that this is a border incident and the exact circumstances are being clarified.

"We will approach this case in a sober, balanced way, engaging with allies where necessary. We see a broader pattern of Russian actions trying to sow anxiety," she said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said the incident must be approached very calmly as Russia is behaving provocatively. Looking at Russia's behavior in recent years, the incident fits the pattern, he said.

Tsahkna said other border incidents have occurred in recent years, such as airspace violations.

Ministry: Estonia's response remains calm and clear-eyed

In a statement published on Friday evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "Estonia's response remains calm and clear-eyed".

"This action by Russia, carried out in the shadow of the night, fits well within the broader pattern of Russia's provocative behavior, including on its borders with neighbors, most recently vis-à-vis Lithuania and Finland," it said.

"Estonia's response remains calm and clear-eyed. We treat this as a provocative border incident. We will communicate to the Russian Federation through our border representatives and diplomatic channels that such actions are unacceptable, demand an explanation about the removal of the buoys and their immediate return."

The statement said Estonia is in close contact with allies and partners as "we continue to counter Russia's malign activities across Europe".

The ministry said the light buoys placed by Estonia to demarcate the border with Russia on the Narva River.

This article has been updated to add a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and photographs of the incident from the PPA. It was updated a second time to add videos of the incident provided by the PPA, and again on May 24 to update the number of removed buoys from 24 to 25.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!