Many Estonian residents, particularly among the Russian-speaking population, still have their email accounts on Russian servers. This means they use email addresses ending in .ru.

From the end of August, these emails will no longer reach many state institutions as quickly as before.

Justice and Digital Affairs Minister Liisa Pakosta (Eesti 200) said the decision is an additional measure to protect Estonian state institutions from cyberattacks.

"Since 2022, cyberattacks against Estonia have increased exponentially. It is absolutely clear that a very large number of these cyberattacks are linked to Russia. Unfortunately, we see that we have to strengthen our defenses, and we are doing so in many different areas and places," Pakosta explained.

"Thanks to determined work, these cyberattacks have not succeeded against Estonia, but unfortunately massive cyberattacks against the public sector have succeeded in Latvia and Lithuania, as we have been able to read in the news. We have to improve our cybersecurity, and this is simply one small measure in all the extensive work we are doing to improve cybersecurity," she continued.

However, not every institution will participate in the new measure, and neither are local governments.

While others have gone further. For example, Estonia's courts have already said they will ask parties to proceedings to stop using email addresses ending in .ru in communication.

"It depends on what security rules the particular institution has established. In fact, all state institutions have very strict rules and they have to comply with cybersecurity requirements. A very large proportion of these state institutions have already moved behind a unified, strong cyber shield, and this transition is continuing all the time," Pakosta said.

The new arrangement will not create additional bureaucracy for government agencies.

"There will actually be no additional bureaucracy; the rerouting is automatic. In other words, the government agency does not have to do any work for this. It is rerouted centrally, and this arrangement applies to all those state institutions that are already operating within the state's secure cyberspace," the minister said.

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