Estonia has begun construction of the Baltic Defense Line on the border with Russia

The Estonian Defense Forces, together with the State Defense Investment Center, have begun construction of the Baltic Defense Line on the countryʼs southeastern border with Russia. Anti-tank ditches are currently being dug there. By the end of the year, they plan to build up to 28 bunkers and equip 10 sites for storing property.

This is reported by the Estonian broadcaster ERR.

In the Estonian village of Vinski, on the border with Russia, an anti-tank ditch is being dug, about three meters deep, four meters wide, and four kilometers long. It will stop the enemyʼs advance, thereby slowing down their actions — this will give Estonia time to react. The ditch is being laid between the existing retaining fence and border posts.

“It is being laid mainly on our side of the border to create another additional obstacle,” said Lieutenant Colonel Ainar Afanasiev, head of the engineering unit of the Estonian Defense Forces division.

Ditches are dug along the border where the Defence Forces need them. In the future, they will become part of the border infrastructure, which will also help to better monitor the border in peacetime.

"Currently, work is underway on lands owned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. As for other sites, the design is still ongoing. After its completion, it will become clear how many private owners or municipalities will need to be involved. There are three options for the agreement: we can buy the necessary land, rent it, or exchange it for another, equivalent site," says Armin Siilivyask, project manager from the Defense Investment Center.

Itʼs all part of the construction of the Baltic Defense Frontier, for which the Defense Investment Center has allocated €4.4 million this year. It is expected that 28 bunkers and up to 10 storage areas will be ready by the fall — the locations for them are already being agreed.

What preceded

Following Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Baltic countries of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are trying to counter potential military threats from the Russian Federation and Belarus.

Lithuania last year approved a program to strengthen and develop civil defense. It includes the creation of new shelters, an early warning system, a special mobile application and funding of €285 million. The country also began building a military base to house German soldiers.

In January 2024, the Estonian Ministry of Defense announced that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania would create a joint defense line on the border with Russia to “deter and, if necessary, defend against a military threat”. They asked the EU for €2.5 billion for this. The EU, meanwhile, refused to fund a “drone wall” for Estonia and Lithuania.

ERR reports: The Baltic Sentinel, a military publication, writes that the Baltic countries and Poland are currently actively building fortifications on their borders — part of the Baltic Defense Line. Military experts believe that the public coverage of this process is deliberate and has a strategic purpose. The visibility of defense structures forces the enemy to change plans, slows him down and makes him more vulnerable.

The Vice Chancellor of the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs said that in early 2024, the Estonian authorities approved a four- and ten-year action plan in the field of civil protection. According to her, the Baltic countries should prepare for the “worst-case scenario” and, in the event of war, warn the population via SMS messages and other notification channels. Estonia will also create a military base in the Russian border city of Narva, where about 200-250 Estonian military and allied units will be stationed.

• The Baltic countries are now afraid of a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, because it would increase the threat from Russia.
• Meanwhile, the Russian Federation is expanding its military bases in the Russian city of Petrozavodsk, located about 160 kilometers east of the Finnish border, The Wall Street Journal reported in April 2025. They are building a new army headquarters there, modernizing barracks, arsenals and railway lines. According to the Kremlin’s plan, in the coming years the number of troops there will be significantly increased — from brigades of several thousand to divisions of 10 thousand soldiers, strengthening the presence along the borders with Finland, Estonia and Latvia, which are members of NATO. More about this here.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.