Estonia starts building concrete bunkers along Russian border

Estonia has begun installing the first concrete bunkers along its southeastern border with Russia as part of the Baltic Defense Line, marking a key milestone for the trilateral fortification project despite delays.​​

Seven bunkers were awaiting installation as of this week, with Estonian officials targeting 28 bunkers in the ground by year’s end, according to Krismar Rosin, press officer for the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments, per Defense News.

The initial batch represents the first phase of a 600-bunker network designed to strengthen the European Union’s and NATO’s eastern flank.​​

In an interview with Defense News, Rosin acknowledged the timeline remains uncertain. The bunkers are being deployed in Setomaa municipality and southeastern Estonia, with 27 situated on government or municipal land and only one on private property.​

The deployment comes a year later than originally planned, following procurement complications that forced Estonian officials to restructure their approach. An initial tender for all 600 bunkers received bids exceeding legal cost limits because construction companies couldn’t accurately assess installation challenges without knowing the exact locations, which defense officials kept confidential for operational security, Rosin said.

“Since those companies did not know … does it have a boggy terrain, does it have some kind of forest terrain, how is the access – they offered very expensive bids," Rosin explained.​

Estonian officials solved the problem by scaling back to a 28-bunker pilot program and revealing approximate locations to bidders to obtain realistic cost estimates while gathering implementation lessons before the larger procurement. The remaining 572 bunkers are meant to be tendered by year’s end.

The bunkers, each approximately 35 square meters, are designed to withstand 152mm artillery shells. They represent one part of a layered defense system meant to stop a possible Russian invasion. All barbed wire and dragon’s teeth obstacles have been delivered and stored in pre-positioned areas awaiting installation if the need arises, Rosin said.

By Khagan Isayev