03.02.26 NEWS ... The U.S. Congress approved $200 million in security funding to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania under the U.S.–Baltic defence assistance programme on Tuesday, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said

03.02.26 NEWS ... Estonian authorities on Tuesday boarded and detained a container ship sailing under the Bahamian flag in Estonia's internal waters, which they said may be linked to smuggling from South America.

03.02.26 NEWS ... France's Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad defended President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion to restarted communcation with Russia, saying Europe should have a seat at the table and can be a great power.

03.02.26 NEWS ... Police have initiated over 1,000 misdemeanor proceedings for the public display of banned symbols of aggression since April 2022, when the new law was introduced. But one lawyer says the law has caused more problems than it solves.

02.02.26 NEWS ... With a ministerial decree, Estonia is raising its monthly conscript benefits by a third, boosting monthly support €35–75 depending on rank.

02.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia's new ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels will be the current Estonian ambassador to the United States, Kristjan Prikk.

02.02.26 NEWS ... Estonia's Stockpiling Agency holds crisis food reserves for a week for the whole population. The government has asked for this to be doubled, but the agency's funding will not reach that far. What is Estonia's actual ability to help its people in a crisis?

31.01.26 NEWS ... A full closure of Estonia's eastern border is one option in response to Russia's illegal border crossing last month, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.

31.01.26 NEWS ... A Kohtla-Järve politician who is a self-described fascist and who has called for a Russian invasion of Estonia may face a fine or even detention for hate speech over social media, Delfi reported.

31.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia will contribute its Navy maritime operations center to a Finland-led Baltic Sea surveillance network to boost information sharing and better track the shadow fleet and sabotage risks.

30.01.26 NEWS ... Russia continued to deny that several of its border guards illegally crossed the Estonian border in December at a meeting on Friday, the Police and Border Guard Board said.

30.01.26 NEWS ... As harsh winter conditions continue and the freeze deepens, Estonian Military Academy cadets and students from 19 NATO allied nations are getting a firsthand taste of winter combat training.

30.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have agreed to create a Baltic Military Mobility Area (MMA) to remove peacetime bottlenecks and allow troops to move more easily between the three countries.

30.01.26 NEWS ... An Estonian proposal to bar anyone who has fought in the Russian military during its invasion of Ukraine from entering the European Union has plenty of support from within the bloc, the union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.

29.01.26 NEWS ... On Thursday, President Alar Karis approved the amendments to the Defense Forces Service Act and Employment Contracts Act, which he had previously left unpromulgated.

29.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia will ban Russian and Belarusian citizens without permanent resident status in the country from buying property, as well as companies acting on their behalf, citing security risks.

29.01.26 NEWS ... A European Union armed forces separate from NATO is inconceivable, the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday.

29.01.26 NEWS ... Even if the number of American boots on the ground in Europe were to fall, the U.S. is likely to remain supportive of the continent, security expert Meelis Oidsalu said.

28.01.26 NEWS ... The Riigikogu has passed an amendment to the Defense Services Act, with the provision requiring conscripts to have B1-level Estonian language proficiency omitted.

28.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia's Defense Forces and TalTech university are working together to see how artificial intelligence can be used in the EDF's logistics chain to reduce existing problems.

28.01.26 NEWS ... While the German media has often lent into the narrative that Estonia and the Baltic states could be Russia's next target, the danger could be closer to home, argues security expert Erkki Koort in the Baltic Sentinel.

28.01.26 NEWS ... Civil defense in Estonia has been addressed at a snail's pace by the government given the war in Ukraine is nearing its fourth anniversary, Rescue Board Director General Margo Klaos said.

28.01.26 NEWS ... Fourteen countries bordering the Baltic and North Seas are calling on the owners of shadow fleet vessels and the state flags they sail under to follow international law.

27.01.26 NEWS ... Russia plans to complete reconstruction work on the Ivangorod border crossing by the end of the year. The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) say the crossing will not open again for motor traffic until the end of Russia's war in Ukraine.

26.01.26 NEWS ... Finland plans to set up a maritime surveillance center which will also see cooperation from Estonia, Yle reported.

24.01.26 NEWS ... Several officials have highlighted Estonia's role in the war in Afghanistan saying the country "answered the call" to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the USA following 9/11, after President Donald Trump said NATO has never supported the U.S.

23.01.26 NEWS ... For the 17th year in a row, marines serving at the U.S. Embassy in Tallinn delivered gifts to local youngsters at the Sillamäe Open Children's Center.

23.01.26 NEWS ... It is still unclear what joint military exercises in Greenland will look like and there is no need to send Estonian troops there urgently, said head of the Defense Forces Lt. Gen. Andrus Merilo.

23.01.26 NEWS ... Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech before the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Switzerland, Thursday night was "unfair," Riigikogu foreign affairs committee chair Marko Mihkelson (Reform) said.

22.01.26 NEWS ... Even if Estonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had an unlimited budget, it still couldn't read Donald Trump's mind, Raimond Kaljulaid (SDE) tells ERR in an interview. While Kaljulaid considers Estonian politicians' positions on the Greenland issue generally reasonable, he criticizes the lack of coordination and consistency in messaging.

22.01.26 NEWS ... While the times are confusing, there is currently no reason to panic, said Foreign Ministry chancellor Jonatan Vseviov. Estonia has never been in such a good starting position to enter a transition era, in light of the recent dispute over the future of Greenland, he believes.

21.01.26 NEWS ... A committee to investigate Russia's influence activities, their financing methods, links to the Estonian public sector, propaganda projects, and the risks associated with them has been started by the members of parliament.

21.01.26 NEWS ... A 48-year-old man who worked at an Estonian border crossing point was handed a three-year prison sentence for passing information to the Russian intelligence services.

21.01.26 NEWS ... The president recently vetoed a law aiming to block non-Estonian speakers from compulsory military service. Two former conscripts – a native Estonian and native Russian speaker – explain why they think the law change would have negative consequences for society.

21.01.26 NEWS ... Since the start of Russia's full-scale war of aggression in 2022, Estonia has provided more than €1.1 billion in support to Ukraine, nearly three-quarters of which has been military aid.

21.01.26 NEWS ... The Ministry of Defense aims to decide this spring how much to invest in ballistic air defense, ranging from hundreds of millions to over a billion euros, with systems expected to arrive in Estonia in the early 2030s.

20.01.26 NEWS ... Last year, 32 people died in fires and 28 in drownings in Estonia, marking a recent record low in fire- and water-related fatalities, rescue authorities reported Tuesday.

20.01.26 NEWS ... Greenlanders are living with a big question mark hanging over their heads. Yet everything, be it at NATO, the European Union or the United States level, seems to be decided without their input too.

19.01.26 NEWS ... A new round of applications will soon be open, allowing apartment associations to apply for state support up to €35,000 to adapt basement shelters.

19.01.26 NEWS ... The volunteer Defense League's Pärnu County unit took part over the weekend in a joint exercise with French allies in Kiltsi, Lääne County, involving about 300 personnel.

19.01.26 NEWS ... While security agencies have issued warnings on Chinese-made tech, the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) have been using it, mainly due to its lower price.

18.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia's MEP Urmas Paet told ERR that Europe's biggest security issue is its ongoing dependence on the U.S., urging stronger EU defense cooperation.

18.01.26 NEWS ... U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose higher tariffs on European countries sending troops to Denmark's Arctic Endurance drill won't change Estonia's plans to participate, Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said Sunday.

18.01.26 NEWS ... In an interview with ERR, former President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said European leaders have yet to grasp the fundamental shift in relations with the United States and the emergence of a confrontation. According to Ilves, the European Union needs a restructuring in order to finally build an independent defense capability that does not rely on the U.S.

18.01.26 NEWS ... Former President Ilves says Europe must pursue strategic independence from the U.S., but top Estonian officials insist NATO must remain the cornerstone of defense.

17.01.26 NEWS ... Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) signed a regulation that will raise the number of conscripts in 2027 to 4,100.

17.01.26 NEWS ... Banks argue that even the strictest additional security measures may not help reduce scams, as fraudsters are capable of pressuring victims into acting under significant duress.

16.01.26 NEWS ... Estonia's Internal Security Service (ISS/KAPO) on Friday said it expelled a Russian citizen and army serviceman for security reasons and handed him a Schengen visa ban.

17.01.26 NEWS ... Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) believes construction of the Baltic defense line could be sped up, and said this year will be an intense year for the project.

16.01.26 NEWS ... The Riigikogu's National Defense Committee is weighing whether to extend conscription for those who enter service without sufficient proficiency in Estonian.