Estonia Plans 150 Bunkers Along Border With Russia
Estonian Defense Minister Martin Herem says the country plans to build 150 bunkers on its border with Russia's Leningrad region. They will be part of the Baltic Defense Line announced by the three Baltic states in 2024.
Estonia intends to build 150 bunkers along its northeastern border with Russia's Leningrad region, the Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Wednesday, October 29. The bunkers belong to the Baltic Defense Line, a project meant to strengthen the Baltic states' security against possible attacks.
Land and agreements
According to ERR, Defense Minister Martin Herem told lawmakers that 100 of the bunkers will stand on state land, while about 50 will be on municipal or private land. The government is negotiating with private landowners in Ida-Viru County in northeastern Estonia. The options include compensation, long-term leases and outright purchase of property.
The Baltic Defense Line
The Baltic Defense Line is an agreement announced in 2024 by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It envisages a series of bunkers along their borders with Russia and Belarus to defend against potential attacks.
Active defense
Earlier this month the Financial Times reported that Estonia, a country of 1.3 million people, had shifted to an "active defense" strategy after studying Russia's military tactics in Ukraine. Under the updated doctrine, Estonia is moving its main combat units to towns near the border with the Leningrad region. In Narva, construction is under way on facilities able to house up to 1,000 soldiers during a crisis.
Kremlin response
Kremlin officials have played down the Estonian troop movements near the border. They have asserted that Russian intelligence maintains full surveillance over NATO deployments along the frontier.
