Estonia plans to close all road border crossings with Russia from December

Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro will submit a proposal to the government to close all road border crossings with Russia from the beginning of December, he told the portal Delfi.ee. The decision stems from a sabotage attempt against Threod Systems, a drone manufacturer in the defence sector.

What happened before

Overnight into Sunday, an attempt was made in Estonia to attack the Threod Systems building in Viimsi, with the aim of causing an explosion and setting the building on fire. Eight suspects have been detained in connection with the incident, all of them residents of Latvia. Prime Minister Kristen Michal then said he had discussed closing the border with Taro and had instructed the Interior Ministry and the State Chancellery to prepare the necessary proposals.

Two weeks to return

Taro explained that traffic to Russia has already been restricted: border crossing hours were shortened, limits imposed and checks tightened. Each time, he said, Russia was warned that if the situation worsened, traffic might have to be halted completely. "And now that moment has come," the minister said.

Estonian residents, truck drivers and others who travelled to Russia in good faith will be given two weeks to come back. After that, they will no longer be able to cross the border directly. The government still has to decide whether the closure will be for a fixed period or indefinite. It will discuss the matter again at the weekend.

Other planned measures

Estonia will keep restricting Russian influence, including organisations and individuals with links to Russia or Moscow; this may include expulsions from the country. Travel and visa restrictions on Russian citizens are also planned to continue, and together with allies Estonia will keep adding to blacklists fighters who have fought on Russia's side against Ukraine.

A Europe-wide claims register is also being prepared to record material damage caused by sabotage attacks. Estonia proposed the idea after an earlier attack on the company Milrem.

Taro stressed that the suspects were identified quickly thanks to cooperation between the Internal Security Service (KAPO), the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and allied intelligence services. He described the border closure as a countermeasure to Russia's earlier actions.