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By Hollie Silverman
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NATO member Estonia will close all of its road border crossings with Russia from December 1 after the Baltic nation accused Russia's GRU military intelligence agency of ordering an attempted sabotage attack against an Estonian defense company.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced the move on Sunday, saying authorities had “clear evidence” connecting Russia's military intelligence service to the attempted attack on Threod Systems, which produces drones and surveillance systems.
“Russia must understand that hostile actions against Estonia come with consequences,” Tsahkna said in a post on X. “Attempts to intimidate, destabilize or undermine our security will not go unanswered.”
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"Closing the border crossings will reduce Russia’s ability to conduct hostile activities in Estonia and strengthen our efforts to prevent sanctions circumvention," he said.
Estonian authorities said suspects tried to break into Threod Systems' premises in Viimsi, near Tallinn, on Saturday morning with the intention of causing an explosion and setting the building on fire.
The company's security staff intervened before significant damage was caused and eight suspects were detained, according to Estonian authorities.
Estonia's Internal Security Service, known as KAPO, said its intelligence showed that Russia's GRU had commissioned the operation.
The country's decision to close its road border represents a significant response by a NATO member to what its government said is an escalating campaign of Russian sabotage and other covert operations inside Europe.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said in a post on X that the attempted attack was part of Russia's “broader hybrid war against Europe,” which he said was intended to reduce Western support for Ukraine and pressure on Moscow.
Michal said that his country “will not be intimidated” by its nuclear-armed neighbor.
Estonia is a small Baltic nation in northeastern Europe bordering Russia and Latvia and facing Finland across the Gulf of Finland.
It was occupied and incorporated into the Soviet Union during World War II before restoring its independence in 1991. Today is has a population of about 1.36 million.
The country has been a strong supporter of Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The latest incident followed an August arson attack targeting Milrem Robotics, another Estonian defense company. Estonian authorities have attributed that attack to Russian intelligence.
Estonian security officials have warned that European defense manufacturers are increasingly being targeted in operations intended to interfere with weapons production and military assistance to Ukraine.
Newsweek reached out to NATO by email Sunday for comment.
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Latest in Russia-Ukraine Talks
Estonia's announcement came days after Russia and Ukraine held their first U.S.-mediated talks in nine months as Washington renewed efforts to negotiate an end to the war.
Representatives from Russia, Ukraine and the United States met in Abu Dhabi on November 10, with the first session lasting nearly four hours, according to The Associated Press.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the talks as “very productive,” while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described them as “constructive and quite substantive.”
The talks led to an agreement in principle on a large prisoner exchange but failed to bring about a breakthrough that could see the war end.
Speaking about the chances of a peace deal, Rubio cautioned against expectations of an imminent breakthrough.
“There's a lot of work to be done in that regard,” Rubio said. “It's not like something that's on the verge of being solved in the next 24 hours or anything like that.”
The negotiations came against the backdrop of continuing Russian and Ukrainian strikes and substantial differences over territory and future security arrangements. Russia and Ukraine have failed to reach a major breakthrough in previous negotiating rounds.
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, eight years after Russia seized Crimea and conflict erupted in the Donbas. The war, now in its fifth year, has killed hundreds of thousands of troops by outside estimates, while the U.N. has independently verified more than 15,000 civilian deaths in Ukraine, with the true toll believed to be higher.
What Happens Next
Estonia is expected to close its remaining road border crossings with Russia on December 1, sharply restricting direct movement across the countries' shared frontier.
The three open road crossings are at Narva, Luhamaa and Koidula. Narva is only open to pedestrians while the other two also allow vehicles.
Estonian authorities are also continuing their investigation into the attempted attack on Threod Systems. Five of the eight suspects detained in connection with the case have been remanded in custody, according to reports.
The border decision has added another source of tension between Moscow and a NATO member at the same time Washington is attempting to narrow the differences between Russia and Ukraine in peace negotiations.
Estonian leaders have made clear that they view the alleged sabotage operation not as an isolated criminal incident but as part of a broader security threat from Russia.
“Russia must understand that hostile actions against Estonia come with consequences,” Tsahkna said.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Oliver Pritchard.
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