Russia restricts movement in districts across Estonian border

Russia’s Federal Security Service has imposed temporary movement restrictions in two districts across the border from Estonia, ERR reported. The restrictions apply from September 16 to 26 in border areas of the Slantsy and Kingisepp districts, officially to prevent violations of border and migration rules and to protect aquatic biological resources.

Small boats are banned from a section of the Narva River between the Bolshaya Cheremukha and Kryusha, also known as Krivasoo, rivers.

A night-time movement ban is also in force outside settlements within five kilometres of the state border in the Kingisepp and Slantsy districts. Hunting and carrying firearms are prohibited in the area.

Andris Viltsin, Estonia’s border representative on the Estonian-Russian border, said the Police and Border Guard Board had previously been aware that Russia would impose movement restrictions for a set period in several areas bordering Estonia. However, Russia’s border authorities did not notify the Estonian agency directly in advance.

The Police and Border Guard Board considers such restrictions unusual but not exceptional. Viltsin said Russia has occasionally imposed various movement restrictions as preventive measures or during exercises, and that movement in the Russian border zone is more difficult than in other areas even under normal circumstances.

“In Russia, the measures in the five-kilometre-wide area along the border are significantly stricter every day than in Estonia. For example, not everyone can enter Ivangorod, known as Jaanilinn in Estonian, because an invitation is required,” Viltsin said.

“The Russian side has applied such measures from time to time, depending on the situation. This is not routine, but it is also not something particularly exceptional,” he added.

Viltsin said the restrictions may be intended to prevent incidents during elections. Russia also recently began fortifying the banks of the Narva River, although he said there was no clear link between the two developments.

“It is clearly visible that the Russian side is investing more measures and resources in guarding the border, improving that work and ensuring access for a response if necessary. I think this should be viewed as part of the bigger picture together with everything else. They are raising their readiness and capabilities, and it seems they do not lack resources on that side,” Viltsin said.

Russia held what Estonia described as pseudo-elections last weekend, which were won as expected by the ruling United Russia party. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously warned that Russia plans to mobilise about 300,000 people after the State Duma elections scheduled for September.

Estonia’s Interior Minister Igor Taro did not rule out the possibility that the restrictions were linked to a planned mobilisation.

“There have certainly been various speculations about the next forced mobilisation. Considering the difficulties they faced in staging their election performance, the harsh restrictions they had to impose to produce the result they wanted and the activities they had to tolerate, nothing can of course be ruled out,” Taro said.

He said few Russians wanted to go to war and die, and that the measures could be connected to an attempt to prevent citizens from fleeing the country. Taro also stressed that evading military service is not grounds for receiving international protection.

“Russia itself knows why it is applying these measures,” Taro said. “They have always had a special regime for the border zone. This area has never been freely accessible.”