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Estonia has accused Russia's special services of ordering an August 15 arson attack on Milrem Robotics, a maker of ground drones used in Ukraine. NATO, EU and European leaders condemned the attack; the Kremlin rejected the accusation as baseless.
Estonia has accused Russia of orchestrating an arson attack on Milrem Robotics, a defence company that makes ground drones used in Ukraine. Foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said the August 15 attack was an act of sabotage ordered by the special services of the Russian Federation.
The Kremlin immediately rejected the accusation as baseless and with absolutely no relation to reality. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that Russia cannot and will not take such statements seriously. He was responding to a question from AFP. Estonia said its investigation, based on information collected by the Estonian Internal Security Service, KAPO, established Moscow's responsibility.
Estonia Condemns Russia's Milrem Attack
The findings triggered immediate condemnation from Estonia's military allies. NATO chief Mark Rutte said Russia continues its reckless campaign of hostile actions against NATO allies. He said Moscow is trying to weaken our resolve and stop our support for Ukraine. But Russia is failing, Rutte said.
It is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine and it is failing to undermine our unity and support for Ukraine. Tsahkna said the aim of the attack was to intimidate Estonia and to weaken its support for Ukraine.
We can conclude with certainty that the arson attack was an act of sabotage ordered by the special services of the Russian Federation, Tsahkna said on X. He added that the perpetrators have been apprehended and no longer pose a threat to national security. Estonia is a difficult environment for Russia to carry out such actions because we act decisively and swiftly to protect our state, Tsahkna said. Our response will be the opposite.
Europe Reaffirms Support for Ukraine
Let us not lose focus and stay the course. He also said the pattern of attacks is directed against Europe as a whole and it will not work. The European Union said it stood with Estonia, calling the arson attack reckless, and said it would not be put off supporting Ukraine. Moscow is trying to scare Europe into winding down its support for Ukraine.
This will not happen, European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said. French President Emmanuel Macron called the arson attack a dangerous escalation by Russia and another in a multiplication of these hostile acts. Russia needs to know that it will not overcome our unity or our determination to continue supporting Ukraine, Macron said on X. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics added that more support for Ukraine will be needed and must be provided.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called the attribution of the attack extremely serious and directed against Europe as a whole. Sweden stands fully behind Estonia, he said, adding that he is in close touch with Prime Minister Kristen Michal. The aim is to weaken our support for Ukraine and to intimidate us. It will not work.
KAPO Details Russian Sabotage Network
Together, we will increase support for Ukraine and take further measures against Russia, while continuing to strengthen our preparedness and resilience, Kristersson said. KAPO said its assessment is based on analysis of intelligence information and cooperation with domestic and international partners. Since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, KAPO and its partners have identified and apprehended more than 20 individuals involved in kinetic attacks carried out on behalf of Russian security services.
The modus operandi of the Milrem attack is consistent with other acts of sabotage carried out in Europe on behalf of Russia. Defence industry companies, particularly those involved in drone technology, as well as organisations supporting Ukraine, have been among the targets. Individuals recruited for such operations may be misled or manipulated and may be given false or fabricated justifications to conceal the involvement of the Russian state.
KAPO said these activities are intended to undermine support for Ukraine among European allies. The Milrem attack demonstrates the continued need for industries, especially in the defence and security sectors, to maintain robust physical and cyber security measures. The threat posed by Russian efforts to destabilise Estonian society and undermine support for Ukraine will remain high in the coming years, KAPO said.
Hybrid Attacks Threaten European Security
Estonia remains a safe and secure country, and we are committed to doing everything necessary to keep it that way, the service said. Estonia has repeatedly accused Russia of hybrid provocations since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Along with its neighbours Latvia and Lithuania, Estonia has ramped up defence investment and remains a staunch ally of Kyiv. European intelligence officials say Russia is behind hundreds of hybrid attacks on the continent this year.
Those officials say Western allies are too complacent in the face of Moscow's increasing aggression. The EU and NATO leaders are rallying in support of Estonia and Ukraine following the accusation. The revelations have outraged Estonia's government, which says the attack targeted a company whose drones are used on the front lines in Ukraine.
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abcnews:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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