Social Democrat Raimond Kaljulaid said Pevkur had been a hardworking minister and a strong supporter of Ukraine but should consider stepping down voluntarily.

"If Hanno were to ask my opinion today, I would advise him to very seriously consider resigning as defense minister at the earliest opportunity and on his own initiative," Kaljulaid said. "The National Audit Office's repeated criticism, the confusion surrounding procurements and advance payments, and now a criminal investigation — it is simply too much."

Kaljulaid said Prime Minister Kristen Michal should appoint a nonpartisan defense expert with an impeccable reputation to lead the Ministry of Defense for the six months remaining until the elections.

Social Democratic Party leader Lauri Läänemets also called on Pevkur to resign, saying major problems identified at the ministry had remained unresolved for a year.

"We are spending a great deal of money on national defense, and the entire defense sector is under fire today. Hanno Pevkur has become a figure who, in a sense, is undermining trust in national defense," Läänemets told ETV morning show "Terevisioon."

Läänemets said that if Pevkur does not step down voluntarily, the issue could eventually lead to a no-confidence motion against him in the Riigikogu. Isamaa leader Urmas Reinsalu has also called for Pevkur's resignation.

Pressure on Pevkur increased further Wednesday when Toomas Uibo, chair of coalition party Eesti 200's parliamentary group, said he personally did not see how Pevkur could remain in office if media reports about defense procurement were accurate.

"This is not how things should or can be done in Estonia. I very much hope that the Reform Party makes decisions quickly and takes responsibility," Uibo said. "If the facts reported by the media are true, I personally don't see how the defense minister can continue in office."

The criticism follows a National Audit Office report that found numerous serious problems at institutions under the Ministry of Defense, which auditors said increased the risk of misuse of state funds and assets. Similar problems had been identified a year earlier.

Eesti Ekspress also reported that Estonia paid €70 million in advance to Indian suppliers as part of an effort to purchase artillery shells for Ukraine, despite the suppliers having never previously sold a shell. The promised materiel did not arrive, and the dispute is now in court.

The Prosecutor's Office has since opened a criminal investigation into circumstances covered by National Audit Office audits from this year and last year.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal has called a Cabinet meeting for early Thursday, asking Auditor General Janar Holm to provide an overview of accounting irregularities in the defense sector. Michal said he expects Pevkur, Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces Andrus Merilo, Estonian Center for Defense Investments (RKIK) Director General Elmar Vaher and Ministry of Defense Permanent Secretary Kaimo Kuusk to present a concrete plan for quickly resolving the problems.

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