Estonia is building new fortifications along its eastern frontier as part of a sweeping Baltic defense effort against possible Russian invasions in the future. ERR reports that construction has started on a 40 km anti-tank trench on the border with Russia.

40 km trench planned on southeast border

According to ERR, the work has begun in villages along the country’s southeast border. The trench is part of a defense system designed to slow and block armored advances. The first section near Vinski village in Meremäe measures half a kilometer. Future trenches will be dug inside delay fences and equipped with dragon’s teeth and razor wire.

Natural barriers in northeast, fortifications in southeast

Colonel Lieutenant Ainar Afanasjev, pioneer inspector at the Estonian General Staff, said Estonia’s northeast already benefits from natural defenses. The Narva River and Lake Peipus act as barriers. Southeast Estonia lacks such features, so the plan calls for 40 km of trenches across vulnerable ground. Marshlands will remain untouched, as heavy vehicles cannot pass through them. By the end of 2027, Estonia expects more than 40 km of trenches completed along with about 600 bunkers, either dug in or stored near original sites.

Defense zone stretches 100 km

The Baltic defense line in Estonia will extend about 100 km along the eastern border and 40 km inland. This year, two strongpoints will be built: one in northeast Estonia and another in the southeast. Each strongpoint will consist of up to 14 bunkers. According to Armin Siilivask of the Estonian Center for Defense Investment’s procurement department, storage areas are also being prepared. Materials now placed in pre-storage sites will be transported closer to strongpoints to ensure quick deployment.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces deploy CATA-type launcher systems from Estonian manufacturer Threod Systems to launch long-range strike drones, the company’s commercial director Ranno Paduri revealed at the DSEI exhibition held 9-12 September.

“Every time you see a long-range drone hitting a target on Russian territory, it’s quite likely that our launcher was used by Ukrainian military,” Paduri said, according to the Defense News.

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have operated CATA launchers since 2022, according to Paduri. The systems provide silent operation and maintain four-minute intervals between launches – a capability he described as crucial for conducting mass drone strikes given the dangerous nature of such operations.

Defense Express said that Threod Systems’ official website lists an even shorter interval of less than three minutes between launches.

Beyond Ukraine, Estonian company Threod Systems supplies CATA launcher systems to multiple countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, according to the report.

The CATA launcher handles strike drones weighing up to 400 kilograms and traveling at speeds up to 55 meters per second. The company emphasizes the system’s operational simplicity, featuring remote control capabilities, two-operator requirements, and one-week training periods.

The launcher system includes a remote control unit that allows operators to maintain distance from the launch site. This configuration reduces personnel exposure during high-risk operations while maintaining operational effectiveness.

Defense Express previously reported that Ukraine will receive a record number of battle-tested THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles from Estonian company Milrem Robotics.

Estonia has imposed temporary flight restrictions along its entire eastern border following increased military activity in Russia’s Leningrad region, according to ERR.

The restrictions, which affect flights up to 6,000 meters altitude, will operate nightly from 8 PM to 7 AM for the coming weeks. The measure responds to heightened activity from Russian forces and Ukrainian drones operating in the border area.

“We are only restricting part of aviation activity. In simple terms, this means that those who contact us and justify their actions, like the Police and Border Guard Department last night when they searched for a missing person using a drone, can continue working,” explained Estonian Air Force Commander Riivo Valge.

The flight ban aims to reduce the number of objects air surveillance operators must track.

“If an incident occurs, it will be easier to remove civilian aircraft from the zone or land them,” Valge added.

Estonia’s Defense Forces will conduct detailed air surveillance, training exercises, and flexible airspace protection in the region over the coming weeks. The restrictions followed the closure of St. Petersburg’s airspace due to drone attacks on 11 September.

“We received information that Petersburg’s airspace was closed due to an attack. We carefully observed Russian aircraft and helicopters near our borders and strengthened our surveillance capabilities. This happened last night,” Valge said.

The measures initially affected the Helsinki-Tartu airline route. Air Traffic Control Service representative Mihkel Haug noted that information arrived unexpectedly and rapidly Wednesday.

“Our goal is passenger and pilot safety. Therefore, the initial measures were strict. Today we reviewed the restricted zone, discussed with the Air Force the part of the zone needed by Finnair for Tartu flights at certain hours, and made it free,” Haug said.

Finnair confirmed it can operate under the modified conditions after the Air Force officially changed the restricted zone boundaries.

Estonia’s Defense Forces maintain their threat assessment remains unchanged, with no direct or immediate military threat to the country. However, the region has experienced increased air incidents caused by Russia’s military actions against Ukraine.

Finland and Latvia have introduced similar flight restriction zones in their border areas.

On 25 August, a farmer in Estonia’s Tartu County discovered fragments of a strike drone with an explosion crater at the site. Security Police assessed the drone crashed in Estonia early Sunday morning and may have been Ukrainian.

The drone attacks targeted objects in St. Petersburg and the oil terminal at Ust-Luga port near Estonia’s border. Multiple Russian airports introduced restrictions and airlines modified their schedules in response to the incidents.

Military officials say it remains too early to determine how long the flight restrictions will remain in place.

Estonia handed over to the United States an Estonian citizen accused of illegally supplying strategic goods to Russian defense enterprises and government agencies, according to ERR.

Estonian police and border service transferred Estonian citizen Andrey Shevlyakov to the US on 28 August 2025, who faces charges of illegally transporting strategic goods from the US to Russia using complex supply chains and networks of shell companies.

The US has charged Shevlyakov with 18 counts related to acquiring and supplying US electronics to Russia in violation of sanctions. The charges stem from his alleged role in helping Russian government and military entities procure American-made electronics through deceptive practices.

Shevlyakov was added to the Entity List in 2012, after the US government identified him as a procurement agent charged with pursuing US technology for Russian government and military end users. The designation prohibited him from exporting any goods from the US without proper licensing.

According to the report, Shevlyakov was detained in March 2023 in a joint operation by the FBI and Estonia’s Constitutional Protection Service. He remained under electronic surveillance from May 2024 until his extradition. Legal proceedings against Shevlyakov are ongoing in the United States.

Authorities allege Shevlyakov used false names and a web of front companies to evade Entity List restrictions, misleading suppliers and circumventing federal Department of Commerce restrictions and US export controls. The scheme allegedly involved travel between Russia, Estonia and Finland to make deliveries.

When apprehended in Estonia, authorities found inbound shipments that included about 130 kilograms of radio equipment, demonstrating the scale of the alleged operation.

The extradition represents part of Estonia’s broader security efforts. In late May, Estonia expelled and transferred to Ukrainian authorities a Ukrainian citizen who maintained contacts with the Russian FSB. In July, Estonian internal security services expelled a Russian citizen who potentially posed a security threat to the country.

Estonian Defense Forces announced on 28 August the death of Estonian volunteer Olev Roost, who was killed while fighting in Ukraine’s war against Russia.

“With deep sadness, we announce that Estonian volunteer Olev Roost has died fighting for Ukraine’s freedom,” Estonia’s Special Operations Forces said in a statement.

Roost joined Estonia’s Special Operations Forces in 2017 after passing selection and participated in an overseas operation in Mali in 2020. He remained with the unit until 2023, when he voluntarily left service and traveled to Ukraine as a volunteer fighter.

According to the Estonian forces, Roost served with Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Special Purpose Regiment. “He went abroad to protect peace in his homeland, risking his life and giving everything so that war would not reach us. We highly honor his memory and will never forget his contribution,” the statement said.

ERR reports that at least six Estonian volunteers have been killed fighting for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

The announcement follows recent reports of other foreign volunteer casualties. Italian volunteer Luca Ciecca, who fought alongside Ukrainian Defense Forces against Russia, was killed in recent fighting. In July, reports emerged of a Hungarian volunteer’s death and the wounding of two Romanian volunteers.

Estonia has been among Ukraine’s strongest supporters, providing military aid and hosting Ukrainian refugees since the war began.

A local farmer discovered pieces of an attack drone on 25 August around 3 PM in a field in Koruste village, Elva parish, Tartu County, according to Kaitsepolitsei (Estonian Security Police) Director General Margo Palloson.

The incident site also revealed an explosion crater, though no injuries occurred.

“Subsequently, all necessary procedures were initiated,” Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.

The Security Police launched an investigation in cooperation with the prosecutor’s office to clarify the circumstances. Emergency services responded to the incident.

Palloson said the Security Police believes the drone came down on Estonian territory on early morning of 24 August.

“We have reason to believe that this may be a Ukrainian drone that was targeted at Russian inland objects, but which Russia diverted from its course with its GPS jamming and other electronic warfare means, and it veered into Estonian airspace. Currently, nothing indicates that this could be a Russian drone,” Palloson explained.

The Security Police chief said this was a military drone carrying explosives that detonated. Had it fallen on a residential building, Palloson said, the drone could have caused extensive damage.

Palloson indicated the drone may have entered Estonian airspace from either Russian or Latvian airspace, which is currently under investigation.

Pevkur attributed the drone debris discovery primarily to Russia’s continued war in Ukraine and Ukraine’s self-defense efforts.

Defense Intelligence Service Chief Ants Kiviselg, commenting more broadly on the incident, said Russia’s GPS jamming is directed at protecting Russian strategic objects and is not aimed directly at Estonia or other NATO allies. Kiviselg emphasized that the threat level in Estonia has not changed.

Pevkur revealed Estonia has begun procuring new types of radars that detect low-flying objects. “Is it possible to create general coverage with this? Theoretically yes, depending on how much resource we deploy there. Our capability will become significantly better. Whether it will have 100% coverage, time will tell. At the same time, the Ukraine war shows that there is no 100% coverage anywhere,” Pevkur said.

Pevkur said he also communicated with Ukraine’s defense minister on 25 August.

On the morning of 24 August, the Police and Border Guard Board tracked a drone flying over Lake Peipus, which later crashed into the lake on Russian territory.

Saturday and early Sunday morning saw active drone movement in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast, when Ukraine attacked Russian-based objects with drones. The drones targeted both objects in St. Petersburg and the Ust-Luga port oil terminal near the Estonian border.