Currently, the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) has the right to detain anyone who enters or appears in its security zone and escort them out. However, the military wants to extend its authority to the immediate vicinity of those zones — for example, if someone is moving around or carrying out activities behind a perimeter fence.

The planned amendment would define what is meant by the "immediate vicinity" of a security zone. This depends on a threat assessment and is not always a fixed number of meters, explained Ministry of Defense Undersecretary Margit Gross.

"But it is not defined by specific boundaries, but by the threat posed to the Defense Forces' security zone. At any given moment, the possible threat to that zone may be different, which means the perimeter of immediate vicinity may also vary depending on the exact situation," Gross said.

"In an urban setting, such as here in Tallinn near the EDF Headquarters, the immediate vicinity is very limited, because even within a small area there can be a lot of different activities. But in sparsely populated areas, such as training grounds, the immediate vicinity may be defined more broadly, since a potential threat could simply be located farther away from the security zone," the undersecretary added.

The ministry does not disclose what technical tools are used to monitor security zones or the extent of surveillance, but it does confirm that rules for filming in public space are followed and that monitoring equipment is located within Defense Forces security zones, said Col. Ants Kiviselg, head of the Defense Forces Intelligence Center.

"Security depends on how far away it is possible to monitor, observe or collect information about an object. So the area is not defined specifically in meters or hundreds of meters. What is meant is the immediate vicinity. There's no need to worry that we would start installing surveillance cameras on civilian infrastructure or scattering them throughout the city," Kiviselg said.

He also stressed that the change will not affect ordinary people.

"If an ordinary person walks by every day — on their way to work or walking the dog near a Defense Forces site — this does not affect them. At worst, someone might approach and ask why you are there or what you are doing, but that is as far as it goes. We are really only monitoring the area immediately surrounding Defense Forces security zones," the intelligence center chief said.

According to Undersecretary Gross, the use of any measure must be based on a clearly identified threat. The decision to act is made either by the commander of the Defense Forces or the head of an authorized structural unit.

"If we identify some kind of threat near our territory — for example, a bag or package left by the fence, and the person has already walked away — then the Defense Forces must determine why it was left there and whether it contains an explosive device or some other item that could pose a danger to the security zone," Gross explained.

"In that case, there may be a need to inspect the bag or take it into custody if the person is no longer nearby. In another situation, if a person is active immediately next to our security zone — just behind the fence — then we can question them about why they are there and what they are doing and establish their identity by asking for an ID card. If necessary, the person may also be detained and subjected to a security check to ensure the safety of our service members, for example, to confirm that they are not carrying something that could be used to injure a soldier," the undersecretary said.

The bill is currently under interagency review. Since defining a threat and, based on that, establishing a security zone is the task of the Defense Forces, approval from local governments is not required, Gross said.

"It does not specifically concern the territory of any one local government. Defense Forces facilities are located across Estonia, so we are not sending this bill for formal approval to individual municipalities. But of course, associations of local governments can express their views on the draft. The security zone itself is clearly defined and its immediate vicinity is directly tied to the specific threat to the Defense Forces. Therefore, determining that threat remains the responsibility of the Defense Forces," Gross said.

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