Estonian official says Russia has stepped up its activity
Erkki Tori, coordination director of the Estonian State Chancellery, said that Russia, an aggressor state, has accelerated the pace of its hybrid actions this year, in his assessment. He noted that defense-related companies and elements of supply chains have recently come under attack in several European countries. At the same time, Tori said that Estonia currently sees no conventional military threat but must be prepared for one in the long term.
As ERR News reports, Tori commented on future Defense Minister Martin Herem's remarks about a fragmented perception of threats in Estonia. According to Tori, the Russian regime's intentions toward Estonia and the West in general will not change, so preparations should be accelerated.
Incidents in Europe
Tori reported that defense-related enterprises and parts of their supply chains had come under attack, including in Germany, Poland and Lithuania. In his opinion, a certain pattern can be traced in these cases, although some incidents may not be connected to one another. The official believes that attention should be focused on Russia.
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In mid-August, a fire occurred at a Milrem Robotics production facility in Tallinn, and sabotage is also being considered as a possible explanation. Tori stressed that the investigation is examining Russia's possible involvement, but it is too early to draw conclusions. He also mentioned the arson attack on the Slava Ukraini restaurant as another incident in Estonia.
Estonia's response
In Tori's opinion, Russia may be trying to send Estonia a signal demanding that it stop supporting Ukraine. According to him, Tallinn does not plan to abandon this support. He added that identifying those involved in the incidents, international cooperation and limiting Russia's ability to carry out such actions are important.
Estonia continues to operate some border crossing points on its border with Russia, although some are closed or have limited hours. Tori said that full customs checks of people and goods are carried out at the border. According to him, there is currently no direct threat at the crossing points, but the country is ready to respond to changes in the situation.
