Cost of Narva military base rises to €20.5 million, opening pushed back to 2028

A representative of Estonia's Centre for Defence Investment, Ando Voogma, said the cost of building a military base for the Estonian Defence Forces in Narva has risen to approximately €20.5 million, up from the originally planned €15 million.

According to Voogma, the increase was driven partly by the war with Iran and rising oil prices, as well as updated assessments of the Defence Forces' actual needs. Alongside the higher budget, the timeline has also shifted: the base is no longer expected to open at the end of next year but rather in the summer of 2028.

Delay linked to political uncertainty

Voogma attributed the schedule slip to political uncertainty in Narva's city leadership during spring and summer, which held up the allocation of the necessary land plot. He said the previous political and administrative situation in Narva prevented progress on developing the base, and that time was lost specifically during that period.

The land exchange has now been completed, and a construction contract could be signed as early as October. Main construction work is set to begin next year.

What the base will include

The military base will house a headquarters and administrative building, residential blocks, a canteen, buildings for equipment storage and maintenance, a sports facility, and other necessary structures.

Until the permanent base is finished, troops will be housed in a temporary container camp. Installation of the container camp is planned to begin at the end of this year and be completed in January–February next year. It will be able to accommodate up to one company of soldiers.

The permanent base is designed for far more people, with space for up to 500 under roof and another 500 in tents, though around 200 troops are expected to be permanently stationed at the main complex.

Of the project's total cost, about €19 million will come from the European Union's Cohesion Fund.