Estonia will establish a military base in Narva to strengthen the protection of the border with Russia, said Chief of the General Staff of the Estonian Defence Forces, Major General Vahur Karus, ERR reports. It is expected that more than 200 Estonian servicemen and allied units will be stationed at the facility. They will be stationed there on a permanent basis. Rotation is also envisaged.
“We are partially represented in the city through the Kaitseliit (Estonian Defence League, a volunteer paramilitary organisation), but our goal is to station permanent units there. They will be on combat duty and then return, for example, to Jõhvi or Tapa, to continue their regular training,” Karus explained. He specified that the base will accommodate both active servicemen, conscripts and reservists. According to him, the military will become part of the “everyday life of the city” – this will give the local population “a clear signal about the presence of the Estonian state” and demonstrate to Russia that “Narva is an integral part of Estonia.” Karus added that the decision to establish the base was made after consultations between the Commander of the Defence Forces and parliamentary parties, which approved the initiative.
Before that, in September 2024, Estonia opened the Reedo military base in the south near the border with Russia, designed for 1,000 people. It was noted that the facility, located near Võru, will be used as a “gathering point” in accordance with NATO defense plans.
In 2025, Estonia will begin building a defense line on the border with Russia. The first stronghold of 14 bunkers in the northeast will appear by autumn, and four more shelters will be installed on the southeastern borders. The defensive structures must withstand a hit from a 152-mm shell. In total, there will be 600 shelters along the defense line, and they will be located not only on state land, but also on private land.