No more orders in sign language. The Estonian army wants to give conscripts a language test

According to the command of the Estonian Armed Forces, conscripts with poor knowledge of the Estonian language hinder both their own and others' training. From 2026, only citizens who have mastered Estonian well enough will be called up for compulsory military service, ERR radio reported. – It is inconsistent with the constitution – said President Alar Karis, refusing to announce the law.

At the end of November, the Estonian parliament decided that from next year only those citizens who speak Estonian at least B1 level will be conscripted into the army. According to the defense administration, this formal requirement is necessary because training for soldiers is conducted in Estonian and increasingly includes complex weapons, communication systems and specialized terminology.

The amendment to the Military Service Act, which effectively excludes Russian-speaking residents from conscription, has sparked a wave of discussion in the country. In Estonia, which has a population of 1.3 million, the Russian minority constitutes more than one fifth of the population. The act is still waiting for the signature of President Alar Karis.

According to Col. Margot Kunnapuu, head of the training department at the General Staff of the Estonian Armed Forces, so far, in the case of young soldiers who do not know Estonian, it was necessary to convey knowledge to them through, for example, gestures or facial expressions. Russian-speaking conscripts who speak Estonian well had to act as translators in practice, she admitted.

President Karis reminded that, according to the constitution, all Estonian citizens are obliged to defend the country. “If any group is granted exemption from military service, this must be in accordance with the principle of equal treatment” – he justified. And in the case – he continued – when a given person actually knows the Estonian language, but this is not confirmed by a certificate, he will not be able to fulfill the constitutional obligation to defend the country.

In recent years, the percentage of conscripts with insufficient knowledge of the Estonian language ranged from 10 to 15 percent. depending on the unit and the specific collection period. However, it happened, Kunnapuu said, that even every fifth of those conscripted did not speak Estonian well, which significantly disrupted the training.

In Estonia, military service is compulsory and lasts 11 months. In recent years, approximately 3-4 thousand were appointed every year. men. Women can volunteer to serve. From 2026 – if the amendment comes into force – people who have not achieved the B1 level in Estonian will be able to be drafted into the army until the age of 28, provided they improve their language skills. (PAP)

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