Estonia to prepare to close border with Russia after sabotage attacks
Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said he has requested the "necessary steps" be prepared to close Estonia's eastern border with Russia after an attempted arson attack on Saturday morning, which has been attributed to the Russian intellegence services.
Eight Latvian citizens were detained after an attempt to break into Threod Systems' property in Viimsi, north of Tallinn, on Saturday (November 14) morning to cause an explosion and set the building on fire. The company produces, among other things, long-range reconnaissance and attack drones.
The Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) assesses that the attempted attack was carried out on the orders of Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU.
In August, an arson attack was carried out on Milrem Robotics, which is based in Tallinn.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Michal said he had discussed the possibility of closing the Estonian-Russian border with Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) and had asked the minister and the Government Office to "prepare the necessary steps".
"If Russia continues its hybrid operations in Estonia, and we know that Russian intelligence services exploit border crossings to exert influence over people, we must be prepared to reduce the risks we face," he said.
"Closing the border would reduce the threat to people in Estonia and send a clear message that attacks on Estonia's defence industry and defense capabilities are unacceptable."
"Russia's aim is to make us afraid, make us hesitate and weaken our support for Ukraine. Estonia's response is the opposite. We will strengthen our security, work even more closely with businesses and our allies, increase pressure on Russia and continue supporting Ukraine," Michal said.
"Estonia is safe and secure. Our state institutions are vigilant, and our people and businesses know how to respond. We will not be intimidated," Michal said.
Estonia has three open border crossings with Russia in Narva, Luhamaa and Koidula, which admit pedestrians and freight goods. The border crossings operate for 12 hours a day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The crossing at Narva is particularly busy during summer and the New Year period, as it is one of the only land crossings with Russia still open to travelers in Europe after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Editor: Helen Wright
