Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur announces resignation

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform Party) announced live on the "Aktuaalne Kaamera" news programme that he is stepping down from his post. He said the State Audit Office's findings regarding the Defence Forces and the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment (RKIK) were serious enough to warrant taking political responsibility.

Pevkur stressed that a leader must have the courage to take responsibility even when it is not personal, if doing so serves a greater purpose — the defence of the state. He noted that as minister he bears responsibility for the entire area of governance, and said he is ready to hand over the defence minister's baton whenever it suits the prime minister.

In a simultaneous social media post, Pevkur said he was confident the decisions made had strengthened national defence, adding that Estonia is now better protected than ever before. He thanked servicemen, members of the Kaitseliit (Defence League), civil servants, defence industry representatives and allies, as well as former Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and current Prime Minister Kristen Michal for their trust.

Background

On Wednesday it emerged that Estonia had sought to procure artillery shells for Ukraine and had paid a total of 70 million euros in advance to Indian entrepreneurs who had never previously sold a single shell. Former RKIK head Magnus-Valdemar Saar said no major decision was made without approval from the ministry's leadership.

In the interview, Pevkur admitted he had not personally read the contracts in question, even though RKIK had submitted them to him. He explained that a defence minister's role is not to scrutinise contract details or find counterparties — that, he said, is RKIK's job.

On Tuesday, a special Riigikogu committee discussed the confusion in defence-sector accounting, prompted by a State Audit Office summary report that identified problems in the field. Leaders of the Eesti 200, Social Democratic Party and Isamaa factions had publicly called for Pevkur to leave his post. Prime Minister Michal called a government cabinet meeting for Thursday morning, at which the state auditor will be asked to present an overview of the accounting issues.

Pevkur's resignation must be approved by the Riigikogu, whose autumn session begins on September 14, meaning he will continue performing ministerial duties until at least mid-September. He is expected to subsequently become a Riigikogu member, replacing Katrin Kuusemäe. Pevkur had served as defence minister since 2022.