Estonia Plans 150 Bunkers Along Border With Russia

Oct. 29, 2026 Construction on the Baltic Defense Line. RKIK / Hendrik Tali Estonia plans to construct 150 bunkers along its northeastern border with Russia’s Leningrad region as part of a broader Baltic defense initiative, the public broadcaster ERR reported Wednesday. “One hundred of them will be on state land, and around 50 on municipal or private land,” Estonian Defense Minister Martin Herem reportedly told lawmakers. Herem said the government is negotiating agreements with private landowners in the northeastern county of Ida-Viru, with options ranging from compensation to long-term leases and direct property buyouts. The installations will form the so-called Baltic Defense Line, an agreement that Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania announced in 2024 to build a series of bunkers along their borders with Russia and Belarus to defend against potential attacks. Earlier this month, the Financial Times reported that Estonia, a nation of 1.3 million people, had pivoted toward an “active defense” strategy after studying Russia’s military tactics in Ukraine. Under the updated doctrine, Estonia has been relocating primary combat units to towns along the border with the Leningrad region. In Narva, construction is underway for facilities that can house up to 1,000 soldiers during a crisis situation. Kremlin officials have downplayed the Estonian troop movements near the border while asserting that Russian intelligence maintains full surveillance over NATO deployments along the frontier. Read more about: Estonia , Defense , Leningrad region Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more ‘Private Pivovarov is on Assignment’: How Russia Hides its Military Casualties Relatives seeking information about the men who don’t return from Ukraine may never get an answer. Russia Says Has Again Fired Hypersonic Missiles in Ukraine The Defense Ministry said the strike destroyed a fuel storage site, killing over 100 members of Ukrainian special forces and "foreign mercenaries." Russia Uses Hypersonic Missiles in Ukraine for First Time Putin has termed the Kinzhal (Dagger) missile "an ideal weapon" that flies at 10 times the speed of sound and can overcome air-defense systems. Russia Awaits Kremlin Reaction to Islamic State Downing of Helicopter Russian officials are expected to respond harshly to the Friday incident that saw a Russian Mi-35M helicopter shot down by the Islamic State in Syria.Russia...