Russia Brushes Off Reports of Estonian Military Buildup Along Border

The Kremlin on Monday said Russia’s intelligence services were capable of monitoring military movements along the country’s borders, brushing aside reports that Estonia is shifting troops closer to the Russian border. “There should be no doubt that our Defense Ministry and other relevant services possess the necessary intelligence to properly monitor and assess the situation around our borders,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a daily briefing. His comments come in response to the Financial Times detailing Estonia’s strategic pivot toward an “active defense” posture after observing Russia’s military tactics in Ukraine. Under the updated doctrine, the Baltic nation of 1.3 million is moving primary combat units from northern Estonia’s Tapa to Jõhvi — 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the border with the Leningrad region. Estonia is also constructing new facilities in the border city of Narva to house up to 1,000 troops during a crisis. Instead of a doctrine involving efforts to “harry” invading Russian forces until the arrival of NATO reinforcements, Estonian military planners are now opting to “fight over every inch of territory.” The country is also acquiring drones and ballistic missiles capable of striking up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) inside Russian territory. Estonia, a former Soviet republic that has long had strained relations with Moscow, has been at the forefront of countering Russian security threats and has strongly backed Ukraine since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The FT report comes amid escalating rhetoric between European officials and Russia. Martin Jaeger, the head of Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency, said Monday that Germany faces a real risk of entering a “violent conflict” with Russia as Moscow expands its “shadow war” of hybrid attacks across Europe. Jaeger warned that in the short term Russia could engage in “low-intensity military activities, particularly in the Baltic states.” Reuters contributed reporting.