Estonia plans to build a fence along its border with Russia. The news was announced by the Estonian Interior Ministry spokesman Toomas Viks and stated that the construction of such a fence will begin in 2018. The total cost of the construction is expected to be as high as € 71 million.
The total length of Estonian’s border with Russia is 135 km in the south, 126 km at Lake Peipus and 76 km along the Narva River in the north.
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| The border crossing at Narva gives an idea about what fence Estonia plans to build |
The fence will be guarded by border patrols as well as video cameras and patrol drones.
Analysis
The plan to build a fence along the Russian border comes a year after the kidnapping of Eston Kohver on September 5th 2014.
Eston Kohver was an intelligence officer in the Estonian security agency. He was tasks to monitor criminal cartels smuggling contraband across the border at the Luhamaa crossing. In the night of September 5th 2014 he was kidnapped by Russian agents while he was still on Estonian soil and just two days after President Obama visited Estonia.
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| Eston Kohver - kidnapped and accused of espionage by Russia |
Russia paraded Eston Kohver as an Estonian spy as he carried a Taurus handgun, about € 5.000 in cash and a digital camera. He was paraded around on Russian television and in a closed trail in august 2015 sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.
Although Estonian voiced strong condemnations at Russia, the EU made only informal protests.
In light of these events it makes sense for Estonia to shield its border. Estonia had 43 illegal border crossing by criminal gangs operating out of Russia this year and now faces the prospect of Russian forces kidnapping border guards for propaganda reasons.
Estonia probably got the inspiration of Hungary since that country is construction a large fence at its border with Serbia in order to stop the refugee problem it faces.
Estonian’s fence will also be helpful in order to deter Russia’s
Hybrid Warfare
Both in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine Russia inserted small groups of Special Forces and secret agents. In the case of the Crimea it were the Russian green little men who infiltrated the region and took over key installations. In Eastern Ukraine it were secret agents and Special Forces tasked to stir up the region and start the current conflict. Later on, with the border secured, Russia inserted conventional troops and equipment to keep the conflict between the “separatists” and the Ukrainian government going.
