Estonia accused Russian border guards of illegally crossing the state border. The incident occurred on December 17 on the Narva River near the Vasknarva breakwater. This prompted a sharp reaction from Tallinn: The Estonian Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires, and the border services of the two countries held a meeting to discuss the situation.
According to the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), at around 10 a.m., Estonian surveillance cameras detected a hovercraft carrying Russian border guards. Three of them, dressed in uniform, went ashore, walked along the breakwater, crossed the temporary control line in the direction of Estonia, and remained on Estonian territory for about 20 minutes. Then they returned to the Russian side and sailed away.
Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said on ETV that the motives behind the actions of his Russian colleagues remain unclear. “It is too early to say whether this was an accident or a deliberate provocation,” he said, adding that there is no direct threat to Estonia’s security, but patrols in the area have been stepped up.
Estonia considers the incident a provocation, especially against the backdrop of previous tense events on the border: in May 2024, Russian border guards removed navigation buoys from the Estonian side of the Narva River, and in 2025, other violations were recorded, including airspace violations.
A meeting between border representatives took place on December 18, where the Estonian side demanded explanations from Russia. Tallinn also handed a note of protest to the Russian diplomat.