Estonia considers border measures after Russian incursion

The Estonian government will review its threat assessment following a recent border incident, with the option of closing the border with Russia not ruled out. The move comes after Russia denied that its border guards illegally crossed into Estonian territory earlier this week.

On December 17, three Russian border guards crossed the temporary control line on the Narva River at the Vasknarva breakwater and remained in Estonian territory for approximately 20 minutes. The stone structure straddles both countries, though the majority lies within Estonia. The motive for the crossing remains unclear, ERR reports.

Estonian and Russian border guards convened for over two hours on December 18 at the site of the incident. Russian representatives insisted that no illegal crossing had occurred.

Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) criticized the Russian side, saying: “Essentially, they no longer understood where the Estonia-Russia control line runs, which is utterly ridiculous because that control line has been in place for over 30 years. If they cannot read a map, if topographical ignorance prevails there, then how are we supposed to help? Should we send them a map, teach them how to read it? This remains a challenge for us.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) highlighted Russia’s repeated attempts to push the border in geographically complex areas, citing incidents at Saatse Boot in October—where armed Russians were seen on a road—and the theft of border buoys from the Narva River in May 2024. He noted that while Estonia and Russia have an unratified border agreement, its conclusion appears unlikely.

“I do not see any real prospect today of a border treaty between Estonia and Russia being concluded and ratified, and these risks will persist. Russia will certainly take advantage of such opportunities. Our job is simply to be very clear about what is our territory, what is Russian territory, to keep the situation under control, and not to give in to provocations,” Tsahkna said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a diplomatic protest note to Russia’s chargé d’affaires following the violation.

For now, Estonian forces have been reinforced in the Vasknarva area. Taro emphasized that any border closure should be proportional: “There are many different options for closing border traffic — it can be closed locally, generally, temporarily, for a longer period, or permanently. So, in that sense, there are various levels of proportionality.”

At the border guard meeting on December 18, the Russian representative said he lacked authorization to provide substantive explanations, prompting Estonia to propose elevating the discussions to a higher diplomatic level.

By Vafa Guliyeva