“Little green men” on the Estonian border. The government will close roads and build bypasses

Roads in southeastern Estonia that pass through Russian territory will remain closed until bypasses are built to ensure the safety of the country's inhabitants, Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced after Thursday's government meeting.

At the end of last week, an unidentified group of uniformed, armed and masked men was moving on the road running through the Saatse border crossing and a piece of Russian land through which Estonians can travel for approximately 1 km. Due to the risk of “provocation”, the Estonian border guard and police closed the crossing and crossing late on Friday evening.

– Judging by the uniforms and masking of the members of this unit, they were not border guards, which constituted a clear threat to Estonia – commented the commander of the border guard at the time, Meelis Saarepuu. According to the services, the group, numbering about 10 people, initially moved along the road, but at some point they stood perpendicular to it.

In the government's opinion, no Estonian should be forced to travel through Russian territory.

Saatse (approx. 60 km east of Voru) is a small region where the territory of Russia (in the shape of a shoe) juts into the territory of Estonia. The road between the towns of Lutepaa and Sesniki runs through Russian territory in two places.

“Taking into account the threat assessment, sections of the road will remain closed. This means that transit through the Russian Federation carries a particular risk, Russian activity has increased and the old agreement according to which it was possible to pass without stopping is no longer credible in the event of the presence of armed persons. These routes are closed and will remain closed,” the head of the Estonian government said at the conference press release.

The head of Estonian diplomacy, Margus Tsahkna, described the current solution, which involved traveling through Russian territory, as a “historical anomaly”.

According to the ministers, the situation at the border is currently calm.

At the same time, the government decided that in the event of the construction of the bypass, officials would be able to conduct an environmental impact assessment more quickly, which blocked the project in recent months. National security is the priority, it was emphasized.

Protected plant species and other natural resources were discovered in this area. According to the previous schedule, the impact assessment was to be completed only in August 2026, and the road itself in 2027-2028. It is currently assumed that the bypass, with limited procedures and bureaucracy, will be ready in autumn 2026.

Due to the closure of cross-border roads, the government also provides support for the region, including: when organizing the necessary public transport. The Saatse area is inhabited by approximately 160 people. The road is also used by visitors to the local nursing home for about 50 people.

Przemysław Molik (PAP)

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