Euros for Estonia: 1 million plan to secure water borders

The Estonian-Russian border is only partially on land, comprising just an 84-mile section of the 210-mile border. The remainder consists of border waters, spanning from the Gulf of Finland, through the Narva River, and Lake Peipus.

As part of a pilot project, Estonia plans to construct water border infrastructure. For testing, the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has chosen a system of buoys anchored at the bottom of the waterbody and floating pontoon fences.

The buoys are designed to rotate easily in the water; they cannot be climbed on or grasped, and some are equipped with blades. A similar solution, according to Veiko Kommusaar, Deputy Director General of the PPA, was implemented by the state of Texas last year on the Rio Grande, its border river with Mexico.

In June, border services detained four illegal immigrants attempting to cross into Estonia via the Narva River. A month later, a pontoon carrying 13 immigrants from India was intercepted on Lake Lämmijärvi.

The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board plans to allocate 1 million euros (approximately $1.1 million) to protect border waters. The pilot program is set to commence next year and could last up to three years.

Protective systems will initially be installed in the areas considered easiest for migrants to cross. However, there is a concern over whether they will withstand winter conditions.

In May, Russian border services removed Estonian buoys placed on the river, alleging they were on Russian territory.