Estonia does not rule out closing border with Russia after Narva incident
Estonian authorities are considering closing the border with Russia after an incident on the Narva River, where Russian border guards illegally entered the country. This was stated by Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro, The Public reports citing News.err.ee.
According to official information, on 17 December, three Russian border guards crossed the temporary control line near the Vasknarvi breakwater and stayed on Estonian territory for about 20 minutes. Most of this waterworks is located in Estonia. The Russian side has denied any border violation.
Estonian and Russian border guards discussed the situation for more than two hours directly at the scene of the incident. According to Taro, the arguments of the Russian side looked absurd, as the border line has existed for more than 30 years and is clearly marked on maps.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tahkna said that Russia is systematically trying to shift the border in difficult geographical areas. He recalled similar incidents in October near the Saatse area and the disappearance of border buoys on Narva in May 2024.
Estonia has sent a diplomatic note of protest to Russia. The government will discuss a possible change in the security risk assessment on Friday. The presence of security forces has already been increased in the Vasknarva area.
Closing the border with Russia remains one of the options. According to Taro, the solution could be proportionate to the situation and range from localised temporary restrictions to a complete blocking of traffic.
