Three Russian border guards briefly entered Estonian territory on Wednesday, Tallinn’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
CCTV footage taken on Wednesday showed the trio crossing the breakwater of the Narva River, which forms part of the border between the two countries.
The incident is said to have occurred at around 10am when three border guards arrived in the area on a hovercraft and walked across the breakwater near the village of Vasconarva.
“There is no immediate security threat,” Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said.
However, he added that the incident prompted police and border agents to significantly increase police presence and patrols.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X that it would summon the Russian ambassador to Estonia to “demand an explanation.”
The soldiers were said to have returned to the Russian coast on their hovercraft after illegally crossing the border.
A video released by Estonia’s foreign ministry purported to show three Russian soldiers walking along the breakwater.
Eric Pugel, head of the Eastern Region Border Patrol, said the Estonian Border Patrol had responded to the incident.
“The incident was recorded by surveillance equipment and a preliminary inspection of the terminal was carried out. Official contact was made with Russian Federation border representatives seeking an explanation,” he said.
Patrols have also been stepped up in eastern Estonia to prepare for possible future incidents.
A meeting between Estonian and Russian border representatives is also planned for Thursday morning, at which Tallinn is expected to issue a statement on the intrusion.
Three Russian border guards are said to have crossed the NATO border, according to Estonia’s Foreign Ministry. – Estnisches Außenministerium, screenshot
Airspace violations and drone incursions
Europe has been on high alert for weeks after drone flyover In September, unprecedented levels of incursions into NATO airspace prompted European leaders to agree to a “Drone Wall” Better detection, tracking and interception of drones violating European airspace along its borders.
In November, NATO military officials said a new U.S. counter-drone system had been deployed to the alliance’s eastern flank.
After violating Polish airspace, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced The Formation of the Eastern Sentinel Projectwhose purpose is to deter further Russian incursions.
Homeland defense officials clear debris from the destroyed roof of a house in Wyryki after a Russian drone violated Polish airspace on September 11, 2025. -AP Photo
Some European officials described the incidents as Moscow testing NATO’s response, raising questions about NATO’s preparedness against potential Russian threats.
The Kremlin has dismissed accusations that Russia is behind some unidentified drone flights in Europe as “baseless”.
Latvian special prosecutor Matisse Jansons said prosecutors from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have set up a joint investigation team to investigate the attack organized by foreign intelligence agencies.
Relevant
Estonian state prosecutor Trinu Olev-As said plots involving criminals from multiple countries or across borders drain the investigative resources of multiple European authorities and are one of Moscow’s main targets.
Over the past year, she said, the image of Estonia’s attackers has changed from locals well-known to law enforcement to unknown foreigners. This requires increased cooperation between states to foil plots or detain perpetrators.
Olev-As said that in two attacks in January, a fire broke out in a supermarket and a restaurant, people employed had never been to Estonia before.
