Lake Peipus, the fifth-largest lake in Europe, is located on Estonia's eastern border with Russia. The control line runs through the middle of the body of water.

The exercise took place on the Russian side of the border on Thursday, July 9.

"The border guard was monitoring the situation and there's not much more to say," Pevkur told Delfi on Monday. "The Russian forces were probably given the task of practicing shooting down naval drones."

He did not disclose how close the troops were to the Estonian border.

Pevkur said he did not agree that this was yet another Russian provocation: "Rather, this is a case of disarray within the Russian power structures."

The minister said the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and other law enforcement units are always closely monitoring the situation and "keep their eyes and ears open."

The PPA said the Russian side did not notify Estonia in advance of the live-fire exercise on Lake Peipus, but the authorities were aware of what was happening.

Tauno Tammik, acting head of the border guard bureau at the South Prefecture, told Delfi: "The Russian side has previously conducted various exercises and live-fire drills on the land border in the immediate vicinity of the temporary control line, the sounds of which can be heard on this side."

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