Estonia permanently closes road through Russian territory

The Estonian government has decided to permanently close a road which passes through a small section of Russian territory, Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced on Thursday, after Russian soldiers were spotted in the area.

The kilometer-long road through Russia’s Saatse Boot was closed last week after 7 armed Russian soldiers were seen standing in the middle of the road, causing concern about the risk of a potential security incident, as drivers are not allowed to stop in the area.

“The general position of the government is quite clear – no Estonian citizen should have to use Russian territory for their business,” Michal said at a press conference after a meeting with police and border guard officials.

“We also heard from other agencies, and considering the threat assessment, the road will remain closed,” he said.

A small road which goes around Russian territory is due to be completed in early 2026, and the State Forest Management Center road, which is already in use but adds several kilometers of unpaved surfaces to the journey, will be improved and widened, Michal said.

Construction of the new road was postponed earlier this year after protected plant species were found, forcing the government to carry out an environmental impact assessment. The government has now decided to skip the assessment in the interest of national security.

The road in southeast Estonia passes through Russian territory in 2 places: The 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) long section in the Saatse Boot and then a 30 meter (100 feet) long section a few minutes down the road. In both places, it’s strictly forbidden to stop or walk on foot, and those who break the rules are subject to arrest.

Use of the road was formalized in a bilateral agreement in 2003, with Russia reserving its right to carry out patrols and stop vehicles passing through Russian territory. There were also proposals to swap pieces of land but those were never finalized before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused relations to deteriorate.