Estonia reports the appearance of armed groups on the border
On the border between Estonia and Russia, in the area of the so-called «Saatse's boot» (Saateseski saap), Estonian border guards noticed groups of armed men. According to the portal ERR, The men were wearing military uniforms without insignia and were moving through the territory from the Russian side.
The head of the Estonian Border Guard said that These people do not look like representatives of the Russian border services. That is why the authorities decided to temporarily close the road through this section of the road, which partially passes through Russia.
Closure of the Saatse Boot is a precautionary measure
The so-called «Saatse Boot» is a small section of Russian territory through which a local Estonian road passes. Residents of several settlements use it to reach other parts of Estonia without formally travelling abroad.
After the emergence of unknown armed groups traffic through the «boot» is temporarily stopped. The Estonian police and border guard service assured that it was preventive step, aimed at protecting local residents from possible provocations.
Moscow is silent or «pretends nothing happened»
Estonia asked the Russian side to explain the situation. In response, Moscow sent a short message that «planned measures are being taken». However Russia did not provide any official confirmation or denial of the appearance of armed persons.
Local residents report that traffic across the road is restricted, and Police patrols are working in an enhanced mode.
Context: escalation on the north-eastern borders of Europe
The appearance of unknown armed men on the Estonian border caused NATO's concerns. Previously, similar «hybrid signals» have been observed on the borders of Poland and Lithuania, where Russia was suspected of provocations under the guise of migration or military incidents.
Analysts note that «little green men» without insignia - This is a familiar Russian tactic that the Kremlin used when it seized Crimea in 2014.
What's next
The Estonian authorities stated that resumption of traffic through the «Saatse boot» is possible only after security guarantees. Brussels and Vilnius are closely monitoring the situation, considering this incident as A test of NATO's readiness to respond to hybrid threats.
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