Early Thursday morning, Russian border guards unilaterally removed the light buoys placed by Estonia in the Narva river to delimit the border with Russia. The European Union (EU) has closely followed the situation from the beginning in cooperation and solidarity with Estonia and other Member States.
This border incident is part of a broader pattern of provocative behavior and hybrid actions by Russia, including on its maritime and land borders in the Baltic Sea region. Such actions are unacceptable. The EU awaits an explanation from Russia on the removal of buoys and its immediate return.
The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrellasked Russia for explanations on Thursday for the removal of buoys in the Narva River, in what Estonia described as “border incident”. “Such actions are unacceptable. The European Union expects an explanation from Russia regarding the removal of the buoys and their immediate return,” Borrell said in a statement.
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At a press conference in Tallinn on Thursday, Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, called the removal of the beacons a “border incident whose exact circumstances are becoming clearer.” The Estonian Police and Border Guard stated in a statement that on the night of May 23, the Russian border guard removed buoys placed in Estonian waters of the Narva River, which are used to mark sea routes.
The incident comes shortly after Baltic authorities condemned as a provocation a report alleging that Russia intended unilaterally change its maritime border with Lithuania and in the Gulf of Finland that separates Estonia from the Nordic country.
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According to Tallinn, the buoys are placed in the Narva River every spring to prevent fishermen and boaters from entering Russian territory and the placement was made by mutual agreement between the parties before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Police and Border Guard will contact the Russian Border Guard and ask for clarifications on the removal of the buoys and their return, he added.
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