The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls for a calm attitude to the incident. This case fits into the practice of provocations inherent in Russia.
On the night of May 23, Russian border guards removed 24 floating buoys installed in Estonian waters of the Narva River by the border guard to mark the fairway. This was reported by ERR.
It is noted that since the river channel changes over time, every spring Estonia and Russia reinstall buoys in the river that mark the fairway. And if earlier the establishment was by mutual agreement, since 2023 Russia has not agreed with Estonian positions.
“We decided to put up the floating signs for the summer season in accordance with the 2022 agreement because they are needed to avoid navigational errors so that our fishermen and vacationers do not mistakenly enter Russian waters,” said Erik Purgel, head of the Idaho Prefectural Border Guard Bureau, noting that the first 50 buoys were installed on May 13.
This year, Russia disagreed with the locations of about half of the 250 buoys, and on Thursday night, Estonian border guards discovered that Russian border guards had removed 24 of them.
The Police and Border Guard Department contacted the Russian Border Guard Service and demanded clarification on the removal of the buoys and their return, expecting evidence from Russia that the previously agreed upon fairway had changed. And if they are not provided, the Estonian side, as noted, will continue to install buoys.
For his part, Foreign Minister Margus Tskakhkna added that this case should be treated calmly, as Russia’s current actions fit into the provocative scheme it has been using in recent years.
