Russia Conducts Live-Fire Exercise on Lake Peipus Near Estonian Border

Russia conducted a live-fire exercise on Lake Peipus on July 9, without prior notification, just a few kilometers from the Estonian border. This is the first time such a drill has taken place in the area in a long time, and notably, it occurred on the lake rather than near the land border.

Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform Party) described the event as unusual. "This is certainly not routine. Russia has not previously conducted weapons exercises on Lake Peipus. In that sense, this is something new," he said. Pevkur declined to reveal which Russian unit organized the exercise but noted it appeared focused on countering maritime drones. "They were firing at a moving target on the water. Whether weather conditions prevented them from doing this in the Gulf of Finland or for some other reason they chose Lake Peipus, or whether the units behind Piirissaar Island were assigned such a task. Previously, the Russian Border Guard has not carried out this kind of exercise."

Pevkur added that a certain degree of panic seems to have emerged within Russia's security structures, with this exercise being one manifestation. "It seems they have many different problems. We have information that Russia's border guards have also been affected by a fuel shortage: they are already mowing around border markers with scythes. There seems to be a certain level of disarray within the security structures."

Interior Minister Igor Taro (Estonia 200) stressed that any military exercises near the border are provocative. "We have very clear rules on how to behave in the border zone and what may and may not be done there. Generally, military personnel do not simply show up near the border to conduct an exercise for no particular reason," Taro said, adding that judging by Russia's recent pattern of behavior, it seems they are constantly provoking and testing various "borderline issues," both literally and figuratively.

The Police and Border Guard Board was reserved in its description. Tauno Tammik, Deputy Head of the Border Guard Bureau of the South Prefecture, said that although the Russian side did not notify Estonia about the exercise, the Estonian Border Guard monitors activities along the border daily and was aware of what was happening on the other side. "Maintaining situational awareness and conducting surveillance along Estonia's border, including the European Union's external border, is part of our daily work, especially in the current security environment. We do this together with our partners, with the shared goal of keeping Estonia protected and secure," Tammik said.

However, Taro noted that not every event across the border deserves significant attention. "Many things happen on the other side of the border. Should we become alarmed by everything? As far as I know, the overall situation is such that we have no reason to worry because of various speculations. However, we do have reason to remain vigilant. They are constantly testing and trying things. We record every incident, take note of them, and draw our own conclusions."

On the same day, a surveillance balloon was launched over the Narva River. "A Russian balloon on the other side of the Narva River is nothing unprecedented, as they have flown them before. Most recently, one attracted attention in May," said Liisu Anger, Operations Chief of the Ida Prefecture. The Russians also use aerostats along other sections of the Estonian-Russian border and neighboring countries' borders. "The aircraft is believed to be equipped with various surveillance systems that Russia uses to collect intelligence about activities and infrastructure on the Estonian side. There is no immediate threat to the residents of Narva or visitors," Anger said.