Estonia accuses Russia of removing buoys on border river
Russian border guards removed navigation markers from the Estonian side of a river
23 May 2024 - 21:03
byAndrius Sytas
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. Picture: REUTERS
Vilnius — Russian border guards have removed navigation buoys from the Estonian side of a river separating the two countries, the Baltic nation said on Thursday, adding that it would seek an explanation as well as a return of the equipment.
Twenty four out of 50 buoys recently placed on the Narva River to mark sailing routes were removed in the early hours of Thursday, the Estonian police and border guard said in a statement.
Natural changes to the riverbed make it necessary to retrace shipping routes annually, the authority said, adding that the location of buoys between Russia and Estonia had been disputed since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Russian defence ministry earlier this week briefly published a proposal to revise Russia’s maritime border in the eastern Baltic Sea, but later deleted it from an official portal after creating concern among Nato members, including Estonia.
The bridge over Narva River at the border crossing point with Russia in Narva, Estonia, September 18 2022. Picture: REUTERS/JANIS LAIZANS
It was not immediately clear if the removal of buoys was related to any Russian Baltic Sea border plan.
“We will approach this case in a sober, balanced way, engaging with allies where necessary,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told a weekly government press conference on Thursday, public broadcaster ERR reported.
“We see a broader pattern of Russian actions trying to sow anxiety,” she added.
The Narva river runs from a lake between Russia and Estonia and ends up in the Gulf of Finland, part of the Baltic Sea.
The Russian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment but spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Russia’s Baltic Sea borders should be in accordance with international law, and that the defence ministry’s work to clarify the border was of a technical nature.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Estonia accuses Russia of removing buoys on border river
Russian border guards removed navigation markers from the Estonian side of a river
Vilnius — Russian border guards have removed navigation buoys from the Estonian side of a river separating the two countries, the Baltic nation said on Thursday, adding that it would seek an explanation as well as a return of the equipment.
Twenty four out of 50 buoys recently placed on the Narva River to mark sailing routes were removed in the early hours of Thursday, the Estonian police and border guard said in a statement.
Natural changes to the riverbed make it necessary to retrace shipping routes annually, the authority said, adding that the location of buoys between Russia and Estonia had been disputed since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Russian defence ministry earlier this week briefly published a proposal to revise Russia’s maritime border in the eastern Baltic Sea, but later deleted it from an official portal after creating concern among Nato members, including Estonia.
It was not immediately clear if the removal of buoys was related to any Russian Baltic Sea border plan.
“We will approach this case in a sober, balanced way, engaging with allies where necessary,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told a weekly government press conference on Thursday, public broadcaster ERR reported.
“We see a broader pattern of Russian actions trying to sow anxiety,” she added.
The Narva river runs from a lake between Russia and Estonia and ends up in the Gulf of Finland, part of the Baltic Sea.
The Russian foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment but spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Russia’s Baltic Sea borders should be in accordance with international law, and that the defence ministry’s work to clarify the border was of a technical nature.
Reuters
Russia deletes draft proposal to change Baltic Sea border that alarmed Nato
Putin takes aim at US assets in Russia for ‘compensation’
Poland buys US radar systems to monitor its north-eastern borders
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.