Estonia has thwarted many Russian sabotage plots, security chief says

Estonia’s Internal Security Service has foiled a significant number of Russian-planned sabotage and attack attempts in recent years, the agency’s director, Margo Palloson, told ERR’s Aktuaalne kaamera news programme.

Palloson declined to give an exact number, saying some plots were still in the preparation stage. The agency intervenes when it sees people arriving in Estonia to prepare an attack. It has detained people, expelled them from the country or transferred them to Ukraine, he said.

Russia’s activity across Europe is systematic, Palloson said. While earlier attacks in Estonia targeted symbolic objects, the focus has shifted to defence industry companies, with the aim of disrupting the delivery of military aid to Ukraine. He said the overall threat level had remained high for the past three years, but attacks were becoming more dangerous, with explosives featuring in a growing number of incidents.

Palloson cited a model seen in Leipzig involving explosives used from a drone, and said he hoped this would not become common in Europe. Defence industry companies in Estonia are currently targets, he said, urging them to strengthen cyber defences, particularly if they supply Ukraine.

Most people recruited to carry out attacks are motivated by money, Palloson said. Those involved have come from varied backgrounds, including Latvia, Russia and Moldova. Russia has also tried to use people from Africa and Latin America, he said.

Palloson said the threat remained high and individual attacks could succeed, but added that Estonia’s security services and state were strong enough to manage the threat and that the country was safe.