Estonia to close Russian border crossings after attempted arson attack

Estonia will close all ​its border crossing points with ‌Russia ​from December 1, its foreign minister said on Sunday, following a suspected sabotage attack on an Estonian ‌defence company that Tallinn blamed on Moscow.

Estonian authorities detained eight people overnight on suspicion of an attempted arson attack on drone maker Threod Systems that ‌they said had been ordered by Russia's GRU military intelligence service. In ‌Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state news agency TASS that if Estonia truly shut its border it would be yet another demonstration of Russophobia.

"...If these ⁠are their ​real plans, ⁠then they fit into yet another bout of aggressive and unrestrained Russophobia," TASS quoted Zakharova as ⁠saying. Moscow has regularly denied accusations by European authorities of involvement in sabotage operations.

"Russia ​must understand that hostile actions against Estonia come with consequences," Foreign ⁠Minister Margus Tsahkna said in a post on X. He did not specify how long ⁠the ​border closure would last or if an end date had been set.

Estonia, a NATO and European Union member state and a strong supporter ⁠of Ukraine, currently has three open border crossings with Russia at Narva, ⁠Luhamaa and Koidula, ⁠which admit pedestrians and freight, according to Estonian public broadcaster ERR.