Three Russian border guards crossed into Estonia last week, prompting officials to label the act a harassment tactic amid heightened NATO tensions, according to an OSW security expert.
Border infringement at Narva river
Last week, three Russian border guard officers crossed the border with Estonia without authorization. The incursion occurred along the Narva river near its mouth at Lake Peipus, where they reportedly moved from the Russian side to the Estonian side following the border line on a breakwater structure. Estonian authorities recorded the event through monitoring systems and released footage online, though they have not identified the motive behind the movement.
Expert analysis: Harassment policy
Piotr Szymański, an OSW security expert, described the incident as an element of a broader “harassment and unsettling” policy targeting Estonia. He noted that the Baltic, Nordic, and Polish states actively support Ukraine, exemplified by Estonia’s allocation of 0.25% of GDP for military assistance and efforts to counter Russian “shadow fleet” activity in the Baltic Sea. According to Szymański, Russia is attempting to portray the Baltic states as a “soft belly” of NATO, testing the alliance’s unity and resolve.
Pattern of incidents on Estonian border
Tallinn officials have documented multiple border incidents. In November, Estonian officers observed a Russian patrol flagging the private Wagner military group. An October sortie involved two drones flying near an Estonian military base, one of which was downed by NATO forces. On September 19, Russian MiG‑31 fighters violated Estonian airspace over Vaindloo Island, prompting Estonia to activate Article 4 of the NATO treaty, which allows immediate consultations among member states.
NATO response: Article 4 activated
Following the September airspace breach, Estonia invoked Article 4 of NATO, signaling urgent consultation needs among alliance members. This move underscores the heightened alert level and the perceived threat to NATO’s periphery posed by recent Russian actions.
