The Soviet-era "broken sword" monument in Tehumardi, in the south of the island, site of a major engagement during World War Two, has long been debated regarding its future. A war cemetery adjacent to the monument was recently excavated, with the remains re-interred nearby.

The state Heritage Board (Muinsuskaitseamet) has reportedly not approved of the move by Saaremaa, mainly because the municipality acted unilaterally.

On Friday morning, the municipality obscured Soviet-era text chiseled into the monument's rock in both Estonian and Russian, using plating (see gallery).

Soviet stars and other symbols were also covered, but the rest of the monument was left intact.

Saaremaa municipal mayor Mikk Tuisk said: "Today, we are temporarily covering it up in a way that causes relatively little damage to the monument, but we are looking for funding to implement the solution we have planned for this site. Unfortunately, this funding is not yet available, so for now, we are covering the monument temporarily."

Regarding whether the heritage board was fully informed, Tuisk said he was not entirely sure. "They are, in fact, aware that we are temporarily covering it up. This whole saga has dragged on embarrassingly long, and at some point, it just needs to be done – and today, it is being done," he said.

"Today, it is just about covering it up so that the propaganda text is blocked, and the red star is also covered. We will then see how the final solution for this site turns out," the mayor added.

The heritage board confirmed to "Aktuaalne kaamera" that they were aware of the municipality's intentions, but condemned the fact that the municipality had not coordinated with the agency.

The monument commemorates the Battle of Tehumardi, a key part of the Soviet Moonsund Operation of 1944.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine brought the legacy of Soviet-era monuments, cemeteries and other installations in Estonia back into the spotlight.

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