Estonia will temporarily close two crossing points on the border with Russia following a series of incidents in which Russian border guards have behaved irrationally, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) said on Thursday.
The government said from February 24, the Luhamaa and Koidula road border crossing points in south Estonia will both be closed at night-time to all traffic. The border crossing points will be open for 12 hours during the day.
“As Russia’s behavior at the border is at times irrational, we need to free up resources to guard the border,” Michal said in a statement.
“For three months, starting on February 24, we will reduce the opening hours of the border crossings and close them at night in response to the need to keep a closer watch on the border elsewhere. Full customs control in the direction of Russia will also continue. Further decisions will be made based on security needs and the situation at the border,” he added.
Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said that the behavior of Russian border guards demands constant resources and heightened attention from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA).
“By cutting nighttime working hours at the border crossings, we can make better use of our officers where they are most needed,” he said.
The minister added that the crossings will initially be closed at night for three months, after which the situation will be reassessed before any further decisions are made.
Number of border crossings has decreased
Taro also noted that reducing the workload at crossing points on the Estonian-Russian border is a logical step, given that the number of border crossings has decreased significantly in recent years and is unlikely to return to previous levels.
“In comparison to 2018, the number of border crossings has decreased approximately fivefold. While 5.3 million people crossed the eastern border in 2018, the number was 1,084,320 in 2025,” said Taro.
The busiest border crossing point in 2025 was Narva (626,470 crossings), followed by Luhamaa (239,542) and then Koidula (213,910).
In 2025, a total of 239,542 people passed through the border at the Luhamaa crossing point either from Estonia to Russia or vice versa.
Of those who crossed the border at Luhamaa, 41 percent were EU citizens, including 9 percent from Estonia and 18.5 percent from Latvia. The remaining 59 percent were third-country nationals, including 31 percent from Russia.
A total of 213,910 people passed through the Koidula border crossing point last year. Of those crossing at Koidula, 59 percent were EU citizens, including 46 percent from Estonia. The remaining 41 percent were citizens of third countries, including 28 percent from Russia.
The Narva border crossing point has been closed at night since May 1, 2024.
Pattern of behavior
While the statement did not link the move to any particular incident, there have been a series of incidents on Estonia’s border over the past two years which ministers say Russia has refused to explain adequately.
In May 2024, more than a dozen of Estonia’s demarcation navigational buoys were removed from the Narva River by Russian border guards early one morning. Despite several meetings, they have not been returned to Estonia.
In September 2025, three Russian fighter jets breached Estonia’s airspace for 12 minutes. Moscow denied the incursion had taken place.
In October 2025, armed Russian uniformed personnel were spotted on a stretch of road in Russian territory, which juts into southern Estonia, despite a long-standing border agreement. Estonia has now blocked off the road.
In December 2025, three Russian border guards crossed the border without permission on Lake Peipus. The Russian border guard refused to explain their actions despite several meetings.
Minister of Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) has said some of the incidents may have be caused by inexperienced border guards of who do not know the area well.
At the end of January, after the last meeting with the Russian border guard following the incident in December, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) reiterated that Estonia may close the border in response.
Andris Viltsin, Estonia’s border representative at the January 30 meeting, said: “Russia continues to deny the illegal border crossing documented by Estonia.”
He added: “This kind of behavior is part of a pattern in recent years, where there is no interest in finding a substantive resolution.”
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