Estonia builds new 40-kilometer fence on Russian border

The Minister of Internal Affairs of Estonia, Lauri Laanemets (Getty Images)

Estonia is strengthening its border with the Russian Federation by completing the construction of a 40-kilometer fence along its southern frontier, reports Politico.

It is noted that Estonia aims to enhance the protection of its border due to growing concerns about potential provocations from Russia. The Minister of Internal Affairs of Estonia, Lauri Laanemets, stated that the goal is to have a high-tech modern border infrastructure.

He explained that the eastern border of the EU, which runs along Estonia’s border, is to be equipped with state-of-the-art security equipment and drone surveillance. The project is expected to be completed by 2025.

“Covering almost 340 kilometers of border is not an easy undertaking, whether it’s mainland fence infrastructure or surveillance systems on the water. Estonia has applied for EU funding to develop capabilities such as drone surveillance and radar monitoring positions,” said Laanemets.

Closing the border with Russia

Recently, Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaya Kallas stated that the government currently does not see substantial reasons to close the border with Russia but is prepared to take such measures if necessary.

At the same time, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Margus Tsahkna, acknowledged the possibility of closing the border with Russia, although this measure was previously considered premature. On December 4, the head of the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs also didn’t rule out the closure of the border with Russia.