The bridge that links Narva to Russia’s Ivangorod was fortified with “dragon’s teeth” anti-tank obstacles in November 2023. Photo: Ilja Smirnov / Postimees
Estonia’s Ministry of Defense is set to establish a new military base in the city of Narva, located directly on the border with Russia. The news comes via public broadcaster ERR, which cites an announcement made by Major General Vahur Karus, Chief of the General Staff of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF).
“The plan is to permanently station units in Narva — to send a strong signal to residents that the Estonian state is firmly present; to normalize the daily presence of service members in the city; and to, in a way, provide a kind of guarantee to Narva residents that yes, we are here, this is Estonia, and it is very clearly an Estonian city. The idea is for [the military presence] to become a normal part of daily life in Narva.
[…] Estonian soldiers will be stationed in a city that lies directly on the border, one of our largest urban areas. It's a way to send a security signal. But it's also something we owe Narva — the EDF has had very little visible presence there. Narva is the only major Estonian city where that's been the case,” Karus explained.
The Estonian military facility is expected to house between 200 and 250 personnel, comprised of active-duty soldiers, conscripts, and reservists. Troops will be stationed in Narva on a rotational basis, arriving from other regions of the country.
Since 2024, Estonia has stepped up security at the Narva border crossing in response to a rise in attempts to smuggle sanctioned goods into Russia, following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Eerik Purgel, head of the Border Guard Bureau in Estonia’s East Prefecture, told AFP last year that intensified inspections have already uncovered military-use items valued at “tens of thousands of euros,” including electronics, microchips, and Starlink systems — “everything that’s used for war,” he noted. Many of these items were concealed in travelers’ luggage.
The “Friendship Bridge” that links Narva to Russia’s Ivangorod was fortified with “dragon’s teeth” anti-tank obstacles in 2023. Currently, the Narva crossing is open only to pedestrians after Russia suspended vehicle traffic. It remains one of just three active checkpoints between Estonia and Russia.
NATO has overhauled its defense strategy in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The alliance has abandoned its previous concept of temporary occupation followed by liberation and is now committed to defending “every inch” of its territory from the first day of any attack. This shift was strongly backed by the Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania — which risked remaining under enemy control for a significant period of time under the earlier model.