Estonia urges citizens to avoid travel to Russia

The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has updated its travel advisory, urging citizens to refrain entirely from visiting Russia due to escalating risks.

Tiina Nirk, Director General of the MFA’s Consular Department, said the Estonian Embassy in Moscow has recently reported several cases of citizens coming under scrutiny by Russian security authorities due to their personal views, Caliber.Az reports citing Estonian media. 

She added that it is not necessary for individuals to openly criticise Russia’s war in Ukraine; authorities may act if private communications on personal devices are deemed inconsistent with official Russian policy.

Nirk also highlighted that Estonia maintains only a single diplomatic mission in Russia, located in Moscow, and that the number of other EU diplomatic representations in the country has been significantly reduced.

This, she warned, could make accessing consular assistance in emergencies both difficult and costly. The embassy has reported an increasing trend of Russian authorities using minor offences, including migration-related issues, as leverage or pressure against Estonian nationals.

The updated advisory strongly recommends that all Estonian citizens avoid travel to Russia. Those currently in the country are urged to carefully consider whether to continue their stay, and to return home at the earliest opportunity.

The MFA highlighted several specific risks for travellers:

• Russian authorities may demand access to data on personal electronic devices, and opinions expressed either in Russia or previously that contradict official positions could result in severe penalties, including imprisonment.

• Foreign nationals detained under suspicion of violating Russian law could be coerced into joining the Russian armed forces and potentially deployed to the conflict in Ukraine.

• Citizens with dual Estonian-Russian nationality are subject to Russian law, with Estonia’s capacity to provide consular assistance severely limited.

The Ministry reiterated that all travel to Russia carries significant and unpredictable risks and urged citizens to act with caution.

By Aghakazim Guliyev