Russia Conducts Live-Fire Exercise on Lake Peipus Without Informing Estonia
On July 9, Russia held a live-fire exercise on Lake Peipus without notifying Estonia. Estonian officials said the situation is being monitored and considered it not a provocation but rather disarray within Russian power structures.
Russia carried out a live-fire exercise on Lake Peipus without prior notification to Estonia on July 9, Delfi reported on Monday. Lake Peipus, the fifth-largest lake in Europe, lies on Estonia's eastern border with Russia, with the control line running through the middle. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur stated that the border guard was monitoring the situation, adding that Russian forces were likely tasked with practicing shooting down naval drones. He did not disclose how close the troops were to the Estonian border. Pevkur disagreed that this was another Russian provocation, describing it instead as disarray within Russian power structures. He emphasized that the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and other law enforcement units are constantly monitoring the situation and "keep their eyes and ears open." The PPA confirmed that the Russian side did not notify Estonia in advance of the live-fire exercise on Lake Peipus, but authorities were already aware of the activity. Tauno Tammik, acting head of the border guard bureau at the South Prefecture, noted that Russia had previously conducted various exercises and live-fire drills on the land border near the temporary control line, the sounds of which can be heard on the Estonian side.
