Tallinn: Estonia will close all its border crossing points with Russia from December 1, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said on Sunday, following a suspected sabotage attack on an Estonian defence company that Tallinn blamed on Moscow.

Source: Reuters

"Russia must understand that hostile actions against Estonia come with consequences," Tsahkna said in a post on X. He did not specify how long the border closure would last or whether an end date had been set, Reuters reported.

Estonia, a NATO and European Union member state and a strong supporter of Ukraine, currently has three open border crossings with Russia — at Narva, Luhamaa and Koidula — which admit pedestrians and freight, according to Estonian public broadcaster ERR. The crossings' operating hours had already been reduced to 12 hours a day, and road clearances would stop once the closure takes effect, according to the Government of Estonia's account of the decision.

Source: Government of Estonia / ERR via CEO.com.pl

The arson attempt at Threod Systems

The attempted sabotage took place on November 14 at Threod Systems, an Estonian manufacturer of reconnaissance and combat drones that supplies Ukraine and other countries. According to Estonian authorities, the attackers tried to pour flammable liquid through a smashed window, ignite it and trigger an explosion, but the company's in-house security staff stopped them. No one was injured, the damage was minor, and the company's production and deliveries were not interrupted.

Estonian authorities detained eight people overnight in connection with the attempt. The suspects are residents of Latvia, and the investigation is being conducted with Latvian services. Prosecutor General Astrid Asi said prosecutors sought pre-trial detention for five of those detained. Estonia's Internal Security Service (KAPO) chief Margo Palloson said the agency's findings place Russia's GRU military intelligence service behind the attack — an attribution presented by Estonian authorities, which Moscow has not addressed in this case.

Second defence-industry attack since August

Estonian services have also linked an earlier arson attack in August on Milrem Robotics, a maker of unmanned ground vehicles, to Russian intelligence. Prime Minister Kristen Michal instructed officials to prepare the measures needed for the closure, and Interior Minister Igor Taro is due to submit a formal closure proposal to the government. Michal said defence companies had received warnings and security recommendations, and that Threod Systems' preparations helped limit the consequences of the November attempt.

There was no immediate comment from Moscow on Estonia's accusations or its decision to shut the border crossings. Reuters noted that Moscow has regularly denied accusations by European authorities of involvement in sabotage operations.