Former ISS head: The Baltics are not of special importance to Russia

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are not of special importance to Russia, former head of the Internal Security Service (ISS) Arnold Sinisalu has said.
Sinisalu who led the agency from 2013-2023 discussed counter-intelligence and how Estonia catches spies in an interview with the NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence which is based in Riga, Latvia.
Asked if the Baltics still hold special importance to Russia, Sinisalu said "yes and no."
"For the Russians, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are so-called former Soviet Union states – not occupied independent states as we believe, and this is the case legally. [But] a big number of Russian speakers from the former Soviet Union of course give them a lot more opportunities when we compare with Finland or some other countries. But, basically, I do not think so – that we are somehow very special, no," he said.
He also spoke about threats posed by Russia and China, adding: "And I'm afraid that the future will show us that it is not [only] Russia and China, [but] most likely some other countries too. But it's just a matter of time."
Outlining the general work of the agency, Sinisalu said there is far more paperwork than you see in Hollywood movies: "Maybe it sounds intriguing, but most of the security services' work is just pure bureaucracy – 80 percent, sometimes 90 percent. So the fun time is very short."
However, the job is still difficult. He said if you can catch one in 10 suspects then this is a "good" outcome.
The former official also stressed that people who are approached by the security services of another state – such as Russia or China – to "collaborate" should alert the Estonian authorities.
"You have always the option to approach us [ISS], to explain what really happened /.../ it might help you," Sinisalu said.
Watch the interview, in English, below.
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Editor: Helen Wright