News Feed

Russia deploys additional electronic warfare systems near Estonian border

2 min read
Russia deploys additional electronic warfare systems near Estonian border
Estonia's Hermann Castle (L) opposite the Ivangorod Fortress, which is on the Russian side of the Narva River, on March 23, 2017, in Narva, Estonia. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Russia has moved additional electronic warfare equipment close to its border with Estonia, Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro said on July 24, according to Bloomberg.

The systems, deployed near the Russian town of Kingisepp — roughly 20 kilometers (around 12 miles) from Estonia's eastern border — are designed to jam communications, disrupt radar systems, and assert control over the electromagnetic spectrum.

Taro said Estonia's internal security agency has contacted the Russian military about the deployment.

Moscow has long been accused of GPS signal interference in the Baltic region, but 2024 has seen a sharp increase in such incidents, particularly over the Baltic Sea. Finland, Poland, and NATO officials have all raised concerns over intensified Russian jamming activity.

Article image
A map of the Baltic Sea Region. (Lisa Kukharska / The Kyiv Independent)

Estonia, a NATO member bordering Russia, has grown increasingly alarmed over Russia's military posture. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly warned that unchecked Russian aggression in Ukraine could eventually spill into NATO territory.

On July 14, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused European coastal states of pursuing "aggressive policies" and said Russia would "firmly defend" its interests in the region.

His comments followed Estonia's live-fire test of U.S.-supplied HIMARS systems over the Baltic Sea earlier this month, which Moscow saw as provocative.

Western intelligence agencies have warned that Russia could pose a direct military threat to NATO allies within the next five years.

I was 18 when I protested at EuroMaidan. I’m proud of new generation protesting now
When I came to Kyiv in 2013 to study journalism, nearly every conversation about the future among my fellow young Ukrainians eventually came down to one question: How to leave the country for a chance of a better life. Back then, there was no war, no daily attacks or funerals of friends killed by Russia. And yet I remember that time as more hopeless. It was the era of pro-Russian, autocrat-aspiring President Viktor Yanukovych, marked by widespread corruption and impunity poisoning the country.
Article image
Avatar
Tim Zadorozhnyy

News Editor

Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.

Read more
News Feed
 (Updated:  )

Ukrainians on July 25 participated in mass protests against a controversial new law impacting anti-corruption agencies for the fourth day in a row. President Zelensky earlier addressed criticism of the law, saying there should have been a dialogue between parliament and society before its adoption.

Show More