Before the start of Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine, Estonia and Russia installed such markers with mutual consent, but since 2023, the Russian Federation has stopped agreeing to the proposals of Estonia.
Russian border guards arbitrarily removed buoys marking the navigable channel from Estonian waters on the Narva River. Estonia is awaiting explanations in this regard, ERR reports.
It was reported that on the evening of Thursday, May 23, Russian border guards removed several dozen buoys that Estonia puts up every year before the start of summer. This year they started being installed on May 13th.
According to the head of the regional border guard bureau, Eerik Purgel, before the start of a full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine, Estonia and Russia installed such markers with mutual consent , but since 2023, the Russian Federation has stopped agreeing to Estonia’s proposals.
“We decided to install floating markers for the summer season according to the 2022 agreement, because they are necessary to avoid navigational errors, so that our fishermen and vacationers do not make mistakes in entering Russian waters,” Purgel explained.
But, as the head of the bureau noted, this year the Russian Federation announced that they did not agree on the installation location of almost half of the 250 buoys, and last night they removed 24 buoys.
The Police and Border Guard Board are awaiting evidence from Russia that the previously agreed fairway has changed, and if no evidence is provided, the Estonian side will continue marking.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said she sees it “as part of a wider pattern where Russia is trying to sow alarm through its actions.”
Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that the incident should be taken calmly, as it is part of the provocative behavior that has recently been carried out by the Russian Federation.
Earlier it was reported that Estonia agreed to use the frozen assets of the Russian Federation for the restoration of Ukraine.
Source: korrespondent
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