Estonia closes road through Russian territory due to presence of Russian troops

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TALLIN, Estonia (AP) — Estonia has temporarily closed access for its citizens to a road they normally use that passes through a stretch of Russian territory, after the interior minister reported on a group of Russian soldiers standing there, Estonia's public broadcaster said Sunday.

Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board said in a statement Friday that the closure took place that day “after border guards observed a larger-than-usual unit moving on the territory of the Russian Federation.”

The Estonian border agency said that the closure of the kilometer- (half-mile-) long road through the Saatse Boot is necessary to ensure the safety of people in Estonia and to prevent possible incidents.

The Saatse Boot in southeastern Estonia is a small, boot-shaped area of Russian territory extending into Estonia. Estonians and other citizens can drive through the area without a permit, but are not allowed to stop.

Estonian media reported that the Russian unit was made up of about 10 men. While Russian border patrols are normal in the area, it is unusual for them to stand in the middle of the road that is also used by Estonians, media reports said.

Interior Minister Igor Taro was quoted as saying Saturday that the Russian soldiers had left the area again. He added that the situation was calm but that the road would remain closed at least until Tuesday.

“There is no direct threat of war. This has been constantly confirmed by the Estonian Defense Forces. The Saatse Boot incident has not changed the situation," he was quoted as saying by the daily newspaper Postimees, according to the public broadcaster EER.

Later on Sunday, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna tried to alleviate possible concerns writing on X that “reports suggesting that the situation on the Estonian-Russian border is becoming tense are exaggerated.”

He added that “in the longer term, we plan to stop using this road altogether. An alternative route that bypasses Russian territory is already available, and a new one is under construction. The current arrangement is a historical anomaly.”

“To be clear: Nothing acute is happening on the border,” he wrote. “The Russians are acting somewhat more assertively and visibly than before, but the situation remains under control.”

Estonia has been on alert for Russian border incursions after three Russian fighter aircraft entered its airspace without permission last month and stayed there for 12 minutes.

A week earlier, Russian drones violated Poland’s airspace in the most serious cross-border incident involving a NATO member since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Other NATO countries on the bloc's eastern flank have reported similar incursions and drone sightings on their territory.