Estonia to build 150 bunkers on its Russian border as Baltic defence line takes shape

150 bunkers along the Russian border

Estonia plans to build about 150 bunkers in Ida-Virumaa county, which borders Russia. Defence Minister Martin Herem gave the figures to parliament on Wednesday, 28 October, after a deputy asked about preparations in the region. About 100 bunkers will stand on state land, while the other 50 will go on municipal or private plots. Authorities do not intend to buy up land in bulk along the Narva River, but owners of affected plots would be compensated through rent or a purchase by the state. Herem did not say how the bunkers would be used. Estonia's border with Russia totals 333.7 km, of which 89.5 km is land border.

State land100

Municipal or private land50

State land

100 bunkers

Municipal or private land

50 bunkers

Data from the article text

Procurement moves ahead

On Monday, 26 October, Estonia's Supreme Court declined to examine an appeal from Nordic Shield Group AB against the tender. The company had contested technical conditions for bidders, including production quality standards and ISO certification requirements. The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (RKIK) said the certificate Nordic Shield Group presented did not meet the tender criteria. The ruling removes a legal obstacle, so the selection of suppliers can continue. Armin Siilivask, project manager of the Baltic Defence Line at RKIK, said the agency intends to keep the original schedule, with a contract possibly signed as early as March 2027. That timeline depends on bid submissions, negotiations and technical checks all proceeding without further delays.

A wider Baltic line

The bunkers form part of the Baltic Defence Line, a joint project of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that aims to stop an attacker at the border, in line with NATO's forward defence concept. According to the Estonian Ministry of Defence, the system in Estonia could include up to 600 concrete bunkers, along with concrete anti-tank obstacles known as dragon's teeth and ditches and barriers that slow the movement of troops and heavy equipment. The plan calls for 600 bunkers along the eastern border by the end of 2027. Prototypes have already been tested against explosions caused by artillery fire, and the procurement was launched in 2025.

Troops and defence spending

Early in October, Financial Times sources reported that Estonia plans to station elite troops permanently closer to the Russian border, preparing an active defence in case of armed conflict. Officials fear a limited invasion aimed at testing NATO's willingness to defend an ally, such as a seizure of Narva, where most residents speak Russian. The army plans to move Brigade 1 from Tapa to Jõhvi, about 50 km from the border, and a new base at Narva is being built for 200 soldiers in normal conditions and 800 in a crisis. Over the past year Estonia signed contracts for nine American HIMARS launchers, including M57 rockets with a range of up to 300 km, and nine South Korean Chunmoo systems with a comparable range. Financial Times data shows military spending rose 42% this year to 2.4 billion euros, or 5.4% of GDP, above the 5% threshold in NATO commitments. Across the region, NATO officials have warned of Russian drone incursions, airspace violations, sabotage and other hybrid threats, and on 26 October Latvia's army said the NATO brigade stationed there had begun its largest force deployment exercises to date.