The group, the Päraküla selts, had already taken the issue of Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) supply depots planned for the Ermistu area near a to the first-tier Tallinn administrative court.

Now, the society does not rule out doing the same over the planned defense industry park, saying effects on the environment and local residents have not been adequately taken into account.

"If this plan goes forward in this way, then we see no other option but that these environmental impacts, both on people and on the natural environment, should be weighed up, looked into more thoroughly, with newer technologies taken into use, and not to proceed with the currently planned old tech," Päraküla society representative Christo Holzberg told "Aktuaalne kaamera."

Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) on Wednesday met with representatives of the society. The minister said compensation and community support measures could be applied, but noted that in the realities of the present-day security situation, the prospects for the defense park to be scrapped or significantly scaled down were bleak.

"We have to look for ways how we can compensate people with something. We have agreed on light traffic roads, on road development there. That we also talk about developing rescue capacity on the part of the rescue board is certainly needed. There are activities with which we can support the local community, but as to whether we can abandon the park or completely leave out the ammunition depots, it is difficult to hope for that today," Pevkur said.

Two defense industry parks are planned for Estonia, in Ermistu and in Ida-Viru County, at an estimated cost of €50 million. The developments come as part of a plan to kick-start the domestic defense industry in the changed security situation. Production, including that of ammunition, is planned to be at full capacity in 2027.

Constructing the Pärnu County park would require some deforestation work.

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