Russian border guards seized navigation buoys from the Estonia side of the Narva River, representatives from the Baltic nation said on Thursday.
Estonia police and border guards say approximately half of the 50 buoys that were in the river to mark sailing routes and demarcate the nations borders were taken early Thursday morning around 3 a.m. local time.
"This action by Russia, carried out in the shadow of the night, fits well within the broader pattern of Russia's provocative behaviour, including on its borders with neighbours, most recently vis-à-vis Lithuania and FInland," the Estonian foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Estonia's response remains calm and clear-eyed. We treat this as a provocative border incident. We will communicate to the Russian Federation through our border representatives and diplomatic channels that such actions are unacceptable, demand an explanation about the removal of the buoys and their immediate return."
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that only since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has the placement of the floating markers come into dispute.
"This is a border incident, the precise circumstances of which we are clarifying," she told reporters.
"Russia uses tools related to the border to create fear and anxiety, with which to sow insecurity in our societies. We see a broader pattern of this," Kallas added.
Thursday's incident adds to the escalating tension between the two nations.
In February, Russia reportedly placed Kallas and Lithuania's culture minister on a wanted list for destroying Soviet-era monuments. Last week, Estonia's national security adviser said the country was "seriously" considering sending troops into western Ukraine to take over noncombat roles.
Information from Agence France-Presse and Reuters was used in this report.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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