Estonia blames Russia for arson at defence company supplying Ukraine

Russia was behind an arson attack on an Estonian defence firm in the capital Tallinn last month, authorities say.

Key points

• The attack on Milrem Robotics occurred on the night of 14-15 August.
• Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna remarked that, based on information collected by the country's Internal Security Service, we can conclude with certainty that the arson attack.
• According to Margus Tsahkna, "this act of sabotage is part of Russia's broader campaign across Europe, aimed at intimidating us and weakening our support for Ukraine".
• Nato chief Mark Rutte pressed European governments to stay calm and continue supporting Ukraine.
• He mentioned the incident at Leipzig airport in Germany in August, in which an explosive-laden drone was discovered near Ukrainian cargo planes.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal remarked the attack on Milrem Robotics – which supplies Ukraine with unmanned military vehicles – was ordered by Russian special services, but provided no details.

Moscow has been accused of launching sabotage attacks in a number of Nato countries that have been helping Ukraine since Russia rolled out its full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.

Russia denies such allegations and has been quick to reject the Estonian accusation, too. But EU countries have rushed to Estonia's backing, adding such attacks will not deter them from helping Ukraine.

Notably, the attack on Milrem Robotics occurred on the night of 14-15 August.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna remarked that, based on information collected by the country's Internal Security Service, "we can conclude with certainty that the arson attack. Was an act of sabotage ordered by the special services of the Russian Federation".

Security service chief Margo Palloson informed broadcaster ERR that Russia was "constantly planning, looking for opportunities, trying to find people who would carry out attacks", but that last month's arson attack was its first successful attack this year.

In practice, the foreign minister remarked the perpetrators had been arrested and Palloson stated they were Latvians who had been living in Russia and taken part in previous attacks. Three suspects were arrested in Latvia and extradited to Estonia earlier this month.

French President Emmanuel Macron responded to Estonia's assessment, saying "the multiplication of these hostile acts represents a dangerous escalation by Russia, which will only lead it into a dead end".

"Russia needs to know that it will not overcome our unity or our determination to continue supporting Ukraine, " Macron continued.

Meanwhile, an EU spokesman remarked the 27-member bloc would not cease supporting Ukraine.

"Russia continues its reckless campaign of hostile actions against Nato allies. It is trying to weaken our resolve and stop our backing for Ukraine. But Russia is failing. It is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine and it is failing to undermine our unity and backing for Ukraine, " Rutte stated.

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In August alone, Russia was either accused or suspected of the Leipzig airport attack in Germany, a major fire at a warehouse of a defence firm in Bulgaria, a sizeable explosion at a munitions factory outside Rome in Italy, an attempted arson attack on a Ukrainian-owned drone manufacturer in Slovakia, and two suspicious fires in Poland – the latest in a country which has noted a number of such attacks.

Hybrid warfare or hybrid attacks are loose terms that tend to describe non-military methods, for example cyber-attacks, sabotage or misinformation, designed to exert pressure and destabilise an adversary.

Estonia's internal security service, known as Kapo, remarked Russia was continuing to look for further opportunities for either sabotage or other hostile acts.

"Individuals recruited for such operations may be misled or manipulated and may be given false or fabricated justifications for their actions in an effort to conceal the involvement of the Russian state, " Kapo head Palloson remarked, external.

Russia always denies involvement in such attacks despite growing evidence to the contrary.

On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin's spokesman remarked "such statements are baseless, ill-considered, have absolutely no relation to reality, and lack any form of reasoning".

"We cannot and will not take such statements seriously, " Dmitry Peskov remarked.

In short, estonia blames Russia for arson at defence company supplying Ukraine is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.