Estonian Defence Forces.


Estonian Defence Forces.


Regional focus Surviving the


ll things considered, the Baltic States had a tough last century. They began it under Tsarist rule, facing strikes and riots and the cold grip of the Okhrana. Then, for a precious few years after 1918, they tasted independence for the first time – but it wouldn’t last. By 1940, the Soviets had invaded. A year later, the Nazis did too. Then, by 1945, the Soviets appeared again, and this time would stay for the next five decades. Alongside the hammer and sickle invariably came the gulag and the


A


eastern frontier


While Ukraine is understandably taking the most attention, European defence ministries are equally worried about what Moscow might do next. One obvious target for Russian expansion are the Baltic States, especially given their small size and long history in the Soviet Union. How, then, are Estonia and its Baltic neighbours preparing for the possibility of future eastern aggression? And given a changing geopolitical picture, how are they balancing wider Nato efforts with a push towards more local security? Andrea Valentino explores, with help from Colonel Mait Müürisepp of the Estonian Defence Forces.


NKVD. In tiny Estonia alone, Stalinist rule saw 35,000 people deported over the course of just eight years. Nowadays, of course, the Baltic States are free, prosperous democracies on the frontiers of Europe. But given their unhappy history with the Russian bear – and Vladimir’s Putin shocking invasion of Ukraine – the spectre of Russian tyranny unsurprisingly looms large. “From the very moment we regained independence, we have been working on and investing in our own defence capabilities,” emphasises Colonel


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Defence & Security Systems International / www.defence-and-security.com Defence & Security Systems International / www.defence-and-security.com


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