FROM THREATS TO ATTACKS! Ship captured, Borders redrawn! Estonia BRACES AND DIGS IN!

Today, there is interesting news from the Baltic states. 

Here, the escalation between Russian and Estonia continue to spiral out control, as Russian forces detained a ship with Estonian cargo a few kilometers of the shore. As the hybrid attacks on Estonia are only increasing, the country launched a massive defense revamp campaign, conducted the largest joint military training with NATO allies, and even started considering the creation of extensive minefields along the Russian border.

Recently, tensions have escalated significantly after Russian authorities detained the Green Admire, a Greek-owned, Liberia-flagged oil tanker that had just departed from Estonia’s Sillamae port. The vessel was en route to Rotterdam carrying shale oil when it passed through Russian waters, part of a mutually agreed-upon safe maritime corridor shared by Russia, Estonia, and Finland. Despite adhering to this protocol, Russia intercepted the ship and towed it to port to impose a fine. The Estonian Foreign Ministry called the detention a violation of maritime norms and has since announced it will reroute all naval traffic exclusively through Estonian territorial waters. The Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna commented that this incident shows that Russia continues to behave unpredictably.

This follows the recent Russian airspace violation as the Estonian navy attempted to intercept an oil tanker part of the Russian shadow fleet. 

This incident is just the latest in a long list of Russian provocations directed at Estonia. Only last year, Russia published a draft resolution indicating plans to unilaterally redraw maritime borders in the Gulf of Finland, effectively claiming parts of Finnish and Latvian waters before quietly withdrawing the threat without explanation. Adding to the friction, Russian border guards removed more than half of the buoys marking the Estonia-Russia border on the Narva River. Despite repeated Estonian diplomatic requests, the markers have not been returned, leaving river traffic vulnerable to accidental border violations.

Meanwhile, GPS jamming, believed to originate from Kaliningrad, has caused hundreds of aviation disruptions in the region’s aerospace. In 2023 alone, Estonian authorities received 307 reports of interference, 85% of which were GPS-related. Though air traffic remains safe thanks to manual navigation practices, the disruptions underscore a deliberate Russian effort to sow instability.

In response to these hybrid threats, Estonia has embarked on a major defensive initiative. Estonia’s Center for Defense Investments is launching the construction of 600 concrete bunkers along the Russian border, which represents a significant shift in national defense thinking. Designed to withstand 152mm artillery fire, the Soviet-era munition standard that Russia continues using for its tube artillery. Previously tested prototypes are being refined, and sample installations will begin in southern and northeastern Estonia by fall. Estonian Defense Forces officials emphasized the importance of completing as much of the work as possible during peacetime with civilian equipment. The bunkers will be concealed as mounds and monitored regularly for readiness. In parallel, Estonia has acquired concrete dragon’s teeth and barbed wire valued at 1.6 million euros, although these will only be installed if tensions escalate further.

Following the lead of Lithuania and Poland, Estonia is also considering withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention on anti-personnel mines. The war in Ukraine has demonstrated their continued effectiveness in halting enemy advances, and Estonia believes maintaining this option is vital to defending its borders.

Military readiness has also been boosted through large-scale exercises. Earlier this month, Estonia hosted Exercise Hedgehog 2025, its largest annual military drill. Involving over 16,000 troops from 10 NATO countries, the exercise simulated a full-scale Russian incursion. It tested rapid response strategies and interoperability among allied forces. Estonia’s new doctrine now prioritizes defending territory from the first moment of attack, moving away from the older “tripwire” strategy that assumed an initial enemy advance before a NATO counteroffensive.

The lessons from Ukraine, especially Russia’s destructive tactics and the steep cost of reclaiming lost land, have fundamentally reshaped Estonia’s defense posture.

Overall, as Russian provocations continue, a strong Baltic line of defense is taking shape. Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland are fortifying their borders, building bunkers, strengthening infrastructure, and enhancing military readiness with NATO’s backing.

Their geography makes them vulnerable, but the Baltic states no longer want to be passive observers. They are forming a collective wall of resistance, ensuring that any further Russian provocations will be met with a harsher and immediate response, improving their strength and deterrence ability.