Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday afternoon, where the agency showed media representatives videos of the incident, Belitšev said the PPA knew the buoys were being removed but did not try to stop their removal. Doing so by force would have meant using firepower from a distance, he said.

Additionally, it would have been difficult, taking into account the waves and river currents, to make sure the PPA did not stray into Russian waters.

"We were careful not to escalate the situation ourselves and to follow standard practice," he added.

Diplomatic methods will be used to get the floating markers back, the official added.

"We are convinced that the buoys were where they were supposed to be," Belitšev said, adding that they demand an explanation from the Russian Federation and the return of the buoys.

If procedural materials show the Russians illegally crossed the border, the case will be processed accordingly, Belitšev said.

Russia has yet to provide any reasons for why they removed 25 buoys at around 3 a.m. on Thursday.

"This is yet another example of why we need monitoring technology," the director said, adding that this would allow Estonia to explain what happened at the border. "Without it, the other side could say that the buoys themselves drifted to the other shore."

As of Thursday, no new buoys have been placed on the river that separates the two countries. The PPA will announce when they have been reinstalled.

"I advise all Estonian people to be as careful as possible and not to enter the territory of the Russian Federation," Belitšev said.

Buoys have been installed on the river along Estonia's eastern border for decades to prevent navigation errors and stop Estonian fishermen and other hobbyists from accidentally crossing into Russian waters.

Last year, Russia said it did not agree with where they were positioned, but gave no supporting reasons, the PPA said.

Z-balloon flown near Estonian-Russian border

Another incident occurred last week, Belitšev said at the briefing.

Russia flew an aerostat – essentially a big balloon – with the letter Z on the Estonian-Russian border. However, this was covered before the aircraft was launched. The letter has become a symbol of support for Russia's war in Ukraine and is banned in Estonia.

Belitšev said that the device remained within Russian airspace, so the Estonian side could not intervene.

"Here, as a society, we cannot go along with the provocation of the Russian Federation and create panic. For us, this is a normal incident at the border," Belitšev said.

He added that the purpose of the activity was to create tension in Estonian society and provoke behavior that escalated the situation.

Last month, the Internal Security Services (ISS/ KAPO) said Russia will likely continue to use all measures that stop short of triggering NATO's Article 5 collective defense clause in the coming years.

It also said Russia's intelligence and security services have also become "significantly more aggressive."

This article was updated to add videos provided by the PPA, and again to change the number of buoys removed from 24 to 25.

--

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