Armed Russian soldiers appeared near the Estonian border: area sealed off – video

Estonian authorities temporarily closed the “Saatse Boot” road section on Friday after armed Russian soldiers were sighted near the country’s south-eastern border. Although the situation has since calmed, officials emphasise the need for continued vigilance along sensitive parts of the Estonian–Russian border.

Armed Russian units along the border

According to a statement from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), several uniformed and armed men were observed on Friday afternoon in the Saatse Boot area — a uniquely shaped, 115-hectare piece of Russian land protruding into south-eastern Estonia.

In video footage released by the PPA,seven armed individuals, their faces partially covered, can be seen on the road. Meelis Saarepuu, head of the South Estonian border guard, stated that the soldiers’ movements were unusually active and clearly did not belong to the regular Russian border guard units.

“Throughout the day, we observed larger-than-usual armed groups on the Russian side. At one point, they blocked the road — a behaviour that can unquestionably be interpreted as a threat,” Saarepuu told Estonia’s evening news programme, Aktuaalne kaamera.

What is the Saatse Boot?

The Saatse Boot is a peculiar geographic feature on the Estonian–Russian border. Estonia’s Route 178 passes twice through Russian territory between the villages of Lutepää and Sesniki — first for about 30 metres, and later for roughly one kilometre.

Motorists are allowed to drive through it without a permit, but stopping is strictly forbidden, and while on that stretch of road, they are under Russian jurisdiction.

According to the PPA, the temporary closure aims to prevent provocations and accidents and to ensure the safety of the local population. The current detour route goes via Värska, Treski, Matsuri, and Sesniki, and is expected to remain in place until at least Tuesday, 14 October.