The outlet spoke to officials in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland about the plans they are putting in place following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine should the worst-case scenario occur in the coming years.

"It's not a question of if [Russia] will attack," Ragnar Vaiknemets, deputy director general of the Estonian Health Board, told Politico Europe. "It's a question about when."

Estonia has issued body armor for ambulance crews, is installing generators, and plans to create an independent internet network if necessary.

"We know for certain that Russia targets the civilian infrastructure and energy structures, and that means that you cannot have these kinds of situations where the hospital doesn't work because there are some power plant problems," Vaiknemets said.

The Baltic states agreed to develop joint crisis management systems last year. On Friday, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania announced they would develop joint large-scale evacuation plans.

Earlier this year, Estonia's ambulances were equipped with new equipment for handling major emergencies, including equipment for setting up command and treatment points.

Combat medics also put their skills to the test in last month's military exercise Hedgehog 2025.

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