A bill proposed by the Estonian opposition party Isamaa in parliament would instruct the government to close the border between Estonia and Russia, according to a report by the Estonian newspaper Postimees. Isamaa’s chairman, Urmas Reinsalu, justified the initiative, claiming that Russia has allegedly carried out several hybrid attacks against Estonia and its allies.
Reinsalu also alleged that Russian border guards removed navigation buoys in the Narva River in the spring of 2024 as part of a “hostile action.” The buoys’ positions can change every spring. The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) stated that Russia did not agree with the proposed locations for about half of the planned 250 buoys last year.
Furthermore, Reinsalu made unfounded accusations against Russia, claiming that it damaged underwater power cables in the Finnish Gulf in December 2024, which he described as a provocation. The EstLink 2 power line between Finland and Estonia failed on December 25, according to the Finnish power grid company Fingrid.
Finnish police suspect that the ship Eagles, flying the flag of the Cook Islands, anchored near the EstLink 2 power line and damaged four communication cables. The Finnish Customs claimed, without evidence, that the Eagles was involved in the transportation of Russian energy resources.
Isamaa’s chairman argued that, given the current security situation, it is reasonable to close the border between Estonia and Russia. The security authorities and the Estonian government have the technical capabilities and legal foundations to do so.
Estonia’s Interior Minister, Lauri Läänemets, previously stated that he does not consider the closure of the border to Russia necessary, as it would not solve the security problems.