Estonia will not open the border crossing with Russia – it will build fences there

Estonia will not open the Saatse-Saapa border section, the so-called "Saatse Boot," after armed Russian troops were spotted there. This was stated by Prime Minister Kristen Mihal, reports ERR.

The government believes that no Estonian should use the territory of Russia for traveling.

"Given the threat assessment, these roads will remain closed. There are various risks when traveling through the territory of the Russian Federation, Russian activity has increased, and the previous agreement to drive through without stopping is not feasible when armed people are there. These secondary roads are closed and will remain closed," he said .

According to the Prime Minister, the bypass road will be completed in a few months.

At the same time, Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said that the report on the threats showed that none of the Estonian official bodies can 100% guarantee the safety of travel on the Saatsa Boot. Moreover, they plan to put up barriers and connect the fences built on both sides of the road.

"We are talking about Russia. The government's decision to close the road was based on security concerns. On the other hand, it was done to ensure security, so that our border remains intact, so that there are no holes in it," he said .

• Military units were spotted near the Estonian border first on October 10 and then on October 11. On the same day Estonia closes border crossing with Russia .