Estonian Defense Ministry: russian military is simulating missile strikes on Baltic states during exercises
Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet said that disclosing information about how missile strikes on the Baltic states were being practiced in russia would help explain to NATO allies the need to strengthen the Alliance's eastern flank.
He told this to the national broadcaster ERR.
The Minister of Defense thanked the Estonian special services, which established how the rocket firing was practiced at the current russian exercises.
"Intelligence and early warning have always been key to me. Because we need to know what our potential adversary is planning, what they are working on when any level of threat materializes so that our reserve forces and allies can be prepared for it," said Laanet.
According to him, this information is especially significant on the eve of the Madrid NATO summit (June 29-30), which will approve the new Strategic Concept of the Alliance and decide to strengthen the Alliance's eastern wing.
"The same threats go towards Lithuania as towards Latvia and Estonia in the media… This whole package [needs] to be collected. It is necessary to fully explain (to the allies – ed.) what the actual security situation is and what threats it can hide ", Laanet emphasized.
He cited as a positive example the behavior of the United States before the russian aggression in Ukraine on February 24 this year, when intelligence on russia's military plans was published.
"For the first time in history, they boldly published intelligence to inform Ukraine and signal russia. We know what you're planning, do not do it. And, of course, so that the surrounding countries could prepare for a possible attack. It was a radically new approach, " said the Estonian Defense Minister.
However, he stated that when russia conducts exercises, its military "usually trains to attack other countries."
"Unfortunately, russia has long been practicing the conquest of other countries. This is not unusual," said Laanet.
Unlike russia, Estonia, alone or with its NATO allies, always practices only defense activities, the minister added, stressing that "there is already an ideological difference in what to work out – conquest or defense."
This news came against the background of full-scale russia's aggression against Ukraine, which began on February 24, and the threats by russia to Lithuania and the EU due to restrictions imposed on russian transit to Kaliningrad.
