Estonia to close all Russia border crossings from 1 December
Estonia will close its three border crossings with Russia on 1 December after a suspected sabotage attempt on a drone maker that authorities blame on Russia.
Livefeed News DeskUpdated · 2 min read
Quick answer
Estonia will close all three of its border crossings with Russia from 1 December after eight people were detained during an attempted attack on drone maker Threod Systems on Saturday. Estonian authorities say Russia's GRU ordered the attack. No injuries or damage were reported.
Key facts
- Estonia will close its Narva, Koidula and Luhamaa crossings with Russia from 1 December.
- Eight people were detained on Saturday during an attempted attack on Threod Systems.
- Estonian authorities say Russia's GRU military intelligence service ordered the attack.
- No injuries or damage were reported.
- Authorities did not say how long the closure will last.
- It is the second attempted attack on an Estonian defence firm that authorities have attributed to Russia this year.
What happened at Threod Systems
On Saturday morning, eight people were detained during an attempted attack on Threod Systems, a defence company that makes long-range attack and reconnaissance drones. The company's security team responded, and no injuries or damage were reported.
Estonia's internal security service, Kapo, said on Sunday the attack was carried out with the aim of causing an explosion and setting the building on fire. Authorities have asked a court to keep five of those detained in custody, according to public broadcaster ERR. Estonian authorities say the attack was ordered by Russia's GRU military intelligence service. The Guardian's report did not include a Russian response to this latest allegation.
Following clear evidence that Russia’s military intelligence service GRU, ordered a sabotage attack against an Estonian defence industry company, Estonia will close all Estonian-Russian border crossing points as of 1 December.
— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) November 15, 2026
Russia must understand that hostile actions against…
The border closure
Estonia operates three crossings with Russia: Narva in the north, and Koidula and Luhamaa in the south. All three will close from 1 December, and authorities did not specify for how long.
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the closure is meant to reduce the risk of further attacks and to send a clear message that attacks on Estonia's defence industry and defence capabilities are unacceptable. He tied the attack to Estonia's support for Ukraine and said Russia's aim is to make Estonians afraid and weaken that support, adding that Estonia's response is the opposite.
Foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said: "Russia must understand that hostile actions against Estonia come with consequences." Michal added that the arrests followed warnings from security agencies to the defence industry about potential risks. "Preparedness matters, and this time it clearly paid off," he said.
An earlier incident
It is the second attempted attack on an Estonian defence firm that authorities have attributed to Russia, after an arson attack at Milrem Robotics in August. In September Kapo said it was confident that incident was a deliberate, pre-planned attack carried out on behalf of Russian special services, and that it fitted a pattern of attacks on defence and drone companies, particularly those linked to Ukraine. Estonia summoned Russia's chargé d'affaires. The Kremlin denied any link, calling the accusation "baseless" and "ill-considered".
Several European intelligence services have repeatedly warned of possible attacks on defence companies and of growing Russian attempts to recruit people in EU and Nato countries through messaging platforms to carry out sabotage. CNN and Reuters also reported the border closure, describing a foiled or attempted arson plot.
Frequently asked questions
When will Estonia close its border with Russia?
From 1 December. All three crossings, Narva, Koidula and Luhamaa, will close, and authorities did not say how long for.
Why is Estonia closing the border?
Prime Minister Kristen Michal said it will reduce the risk of further attacks after the attempted attack on Threod Systems, and send a message that attacks on Estonia's defence industry are unacceptable.
What happened at Threod Systems?
Eight people were detained on Saturday morning during an attempted attack. Kapo said the aim was to cause an explosion and set the building on fire. No injuries or damage were reported.
Who does Estonia blame?
Estonian authorities say Russia's GRU military intelligence service ordered the attack. After the August Milrem Robotics attack, the Kremlin denied any link.
