Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that her country successfully foiled Russian special services agents engaged in an operation targeted key individuals and aimed to sow fear and tension within the NATO territory.
The operation, which aimed to sow fear and create tension within Estonian society, targeted key individuals, including a government minister and a journalist and involved a series of coordinated attacks, including the vandalism of vehicles and memorials, in what Estonian authorities have described as a deliberate attempt to destabilize the country.
According to Estonia’s Internal Security Service (ISS), ten people have been detained in connection with the operation, with six currently in custody.
The ISS believes that these individuals acted on behalf of Federal Security Service (FSB) and were following instructions from the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin to carry out the attacks.
Known as the “Estonian Iron Lady,” Kallas emphasized the importance of transparency in the face of such threats, stating, “We know the Kremlin is targeting all of our democratic societies. Our answer: be open and reveal their methods. This is the way to deter harmful actions and make us resilient.”
A car belonging to Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets was found the morning of December 8, 2023, vandalized, with most of its windows smashed. The minister said at the time that he was “not so worried” about his own safety and security, but was more concerned about that of his family, including a small child. His partner is the mother of the child.
The revelation of the thwarted operation comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and NATO member states. Estonia, a staunch ally of the Western military alliance, has been on high alert following increased Russian military activity in the region.
There is no imminent military threat to NATO as the, “world has become more dangerous, but NATO has become stronger,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, citing record increases in allied defense spending and ammunition production.
In response to the incident, Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would summon Russia’s top diplomat in Estonia, underscoring the seriousness with which the country views such provocations.
Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna condemned Russia’s actions, stating, “It is clear that Russia is systematically trying to undermine our society by organizing hybrid operations against our state, our people, and our security.”
The revelation of the thwarted operation has sent shockwaves through the international community, with many expressing solidarity with Estonia and calling for a united response to Russian aggression.
In 2007, Russia launched a series of cyberattacks against Estonia that lasted 22 days and targeted the websites of Estonian organizations, including banks, ministries, newspapers, broadcasters, and the parliament in response to the government’s decision to remove a Soviet monument from Tallinn.
As tensions continue to escalate in the region, Estonia remains vigilant against further attempts to undermine its security and stability. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by Russia’s aggressive posture in Eastern Europe and the importance of collective defense among NATO member states.
In 1949, the primary aim of the North Atlantic Treaty – NATO’s founding treaty – was to create a pact of mutual assistance to counter the risk that the Soviet Union would seek to extend its control of Eastern Europe to other parts of the continent.
Every participating country agreed that this form of solidarity was at the heart of the Treaty, effectively making Article 5 on collective defence a key component of the Alliance.
Article 5 provides that if a NATO Ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the Alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members and will take the actions it deems necessary to assist the Ally attacked.
Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service said Russia is preparing for a military confrontation with the West within the next decade and could be deterred by a counter build-up of armed forces, echoing a growing number of Western officials that have warned of a violent threat from Russia to countries along the eastern flank of NATO.
Calling for Europe to get prepared by rearming, Estonia’s intelligence chief said the assessment was based on Russian plans to double the number of forces stationed along its border with NATO members Finland and the Baltic States of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia.