What happened
Estonia is strengthening its defenses by shifting military units closer to the Russian border and expanding its long-range strike capability. The 1st Infantry Brigade has moved its staff company and brigade headquarters from Tapa, and another company will relocate from Jõhvi to Narva next year.
Security expert Rainer Saks believes that moving units by less than 100 kilometers has limited strategic impact, as Estonia's real vulnerabilities lie in air defense and attack-drone capacity. However, Defense Minister Martin Herem says that air defense is improving, with additional ammunition for existing systems arriving this year and long-range strike capability being developed.
The Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) have received loitering munitions, also known as winged drones, and are trained to use them. Some HIMARS munitions have also arrived, although not the 300-kilometer-range missiles. Saks notes that if Estonia could bring a 300-kilometer zone under fire control, it would be a major change in defense planning.
