Estland

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Baltic defense zone anti-tank ditch construction underway in southeast Estonia

Mirjam Mõttus
Today at 10.11

Work has begun on anti-tank ditches in southeastern Estonia which will form part of the Baltic defense zone.
The project is set to cost €4.4 million this year alone, and by year's end the hope is to have up to 28 bunkers and 10 storage areas set up. The famed "dragon's teeth" anti-tank obstacles are also being installed in the zones.

The Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) are developing the zone in cooperation with the Center for Defense Investments (RKIK).

Armin Siilivask, Baltic defense zone project manager at the RKIK, told "Aktuaalne kaamera": "Currently, up to four kilometers of anti-tank ditch are under construction. The locations of up to 28 bunkers are being confirmed, and we plan to finalize them by this fall, along with up to ten storage areas."

While much of Estonia's eastern border follows watercourses, in the far southeast the frontier runs through heavily forested land, and it is in this zone that the anti-tank ditches are dug, in line with EDF analysis and needs.

The border has already seen much redevelopment in recent years including fencing and monitoring facilities, and the anti-tank ditches will have a dual use in supporting border surveillance during peacetime.

Romet Niilus, head of the Piusa border station at the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), said: "This is not a simple roadside ditch but rather a deep trench. Its purpose is to delay and to buy time so we can respond to an incident."

The obstacles are being constructed on both state- and privately-owned land.

Siilivask said: "The current section being built is located on land owned by the Ministry of the Interior. For other segments, the design process is still ongoing, and once completed, we will know how many private landowners or municipalities we need to involve. There are three options for reaching an agreement – either we buy the necessary section from the private owner, lease it, or offer a land exchange."

The village of Vinski, Võru County, lies in the zone. When "Aktuaalne kaamera" paid a visit, a mechanical excavator was at work digging the approximately three-meter-deep ditch, as part of the initial trial section of the Baltic defense zone.

Lt Col. Ainar Afanasjev, commander of the EDF's divisional engineer unit, said: "In this case, the anti-tank ditch we're talking about will halt the enemy – it will slow down their actions, while if they attempt to create a passage through it, they will get to be very good targets for our weapons. The ditch is, broadly, four meters wide and three meters deep. It is usually placed on our side, so to speak, to provide additional obstruction."

The work also draws on the lessons from Russia's stalled invasion of Ukraine.

https://news.err.ee/1609726515/baltic-de...st-estonia