Estonia closes highway near Russian border after unusual troop movements

Estonian border guards have blocked a highway passing through the “Saatse boot” area in Russia’s Pskov region, Postimees reports.

The decision to close the route was made on October 10 by the Police and Border Guard Department (PPA).

According to Künter Pedosk, operational head of the Lõuna prefecture, Estonian border authorities observed “the movement of a larger-than-usual unit” on Russian territory.

“Russian border guards regularly patrol the Saatse boot area, as it is their territory. Today, a more active movement than usual was noticed. We decided to close the road to prevent possible provocations and incidents, as our goal is to ensure the safety of Estonian residents,” Pedosk explained.

Border authorities on both sides of the road initially advised drivers to avoid the area, but some continued to travel through. Pedosk noted that while the road has always required extra caution, current assessments indicated a higher-than-usual risk.

Earlier, Reuters reported that Estonia, along with Latvia and Lithuania, is developing contingency plans for a potential Russian attack, which could include the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of civilians.

By Tamilla Hasanova