Estonia will create a reserve to counter hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus
20 October, 2024 Estonian military during exercises. Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Estonia Estonia will create a large reserve unit to patrol the border and counter hybrid threats from Russia and Belarus.
ERR reported on this. According to the Ministry of Defense of Estonia, Russia, together with Belarus, may intensify hybrid attacks on Europe's eastern borders in the next ten years. All of Russia's aggressive activities in the border regions are linked to the fierce war in Ukraine, as well as attempts to intimidate the European Union.
Illustrative photo of servicemen of the Estonian Defence Forces.
Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Estonia
"Russia aims to put pressure on the West in every possible way to reduce Western support for Ukraine. At the same time, it wants to create problems in our society, to raise the question of whether the West should support Ukraine if it poses various internal threats to us," Marek Kohv, Head of the security and resilience research program at the International Center for Defense and Security, stated. According to him, uncontrolled migration in Europe can negatively impact political decisions and public opinion, as is the case in Germany, France, and Spain, for example.
Despite this, Estonia is also under this threat, and to be prepared for such situations, a reserve of 1,000 soldiers will be created to strengthen border security. "This year, together with the volunteer paramilitary units and the Defense Forces, we conducted the first test for a small unit. And over the next three years, we plan to recruit this thousand people," Lauri Laanemets, Minister of the Interior, shared.
Military of Estonia.
Photo credits: Estonian Defence Forces
After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Estonia began to actively strengthen its border with Russia and purchase modern weapons to counter the Russian threat. In addition, the country's military is conducting active exercises with other NATO countries to improve its warfare and military management skills. The Ministry of Defense of Estonia will invest EUR500 million in the next four years in the development of military infrastructure, the creation of new garrisons, and military towns.
Militarnyi previously reported that Jormungandr 24 and Iron Woolf 2024-2 international exercises and the Sibul paramilitary exercise are taking place in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.