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NATO maneuvers in Estonia (May 2022): “Defend from the first meter”

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Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania want to secure their borders with Russia and Belarus against possible attacks with hundreds of bunkers.

This was announced by the defense ministers of the three Baltic EU and NATO countries.

"Russia's war in Ukraine has shown that in addition to equipment, ammunition and personnel, defense systems are also necessary to defend Estonia from the first metre," explained Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur.

The three countries see themselves as particularly at risk from possible attacks.

They would be difficult for NATO to defend due to their location in the east of the Baltic Sea.

"The aim of the Baltic defense line is to deter and defend the country from the first centimeter of territory, which of course is also NATO territory," said the host Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds after meeting his Baltic counterparts in Riga.

"We all face the same challenging, aggressive country and border it."

According to public broadcaster ERR, Tarmo Kundla, head of the operations department of the General Staff of the Estonian Defense Forces, said that there was no impenetrable defense.

"But the price that an opponent has to invest in breaking through this defense is still much higher than it is now." In addition, the preparations that he has to make in order to break through the line are much more visible than today.

According to media reports, construction of the facilities is scheduled to begin in 2025.

Initially around 55 million euros were planned for this.

According to the announcement, a system of bunkers and supply lines will be created.

In peacetime, neither barbed wire nor mines nor concrete blocks should be laid to stop tanks at the border.

They were said to be on standby nearby.

Pistorius warns about Putin

Russian ruler Vladimir Putin recently sharpened his tone towards the Baltic states.

"I don't think that luck comes to them," he said, referring to Latvia.

Defense Minister recently warned of a Russian attack.

“We have to take into account that Vladimir Putin will one day even attack a NATO country,” he told the Tagesspiegel.

“Our experts expect a period of five to eight years in which this could be possible.”

sol/dpa