Estonia Blames Russian Intelligence for Arson at Defence Firm Milrem

Estonia's government said on September 29 that Russia's intelligence services ordered an August arson attack on the Tallinn premises of defence contractor Milrem Robotics, which produces unmanned ground vehicles supplied to Ukraine.¹³⁴⁸

Investigation and attribution

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said Estonia's Internal Security Service, KAPO, had determined that the August 15 fire at Milrem Robotics' facility in Tallinn's Lasnamäe district was an act of sabotage ordered by Russia's intelligence agencies. "We can conclude with certainty that the arson attack in Tallinn was an act of sabotage ordered by the special services of the Russian Federation," Tsahkna said.¹²⁶¹¹

KAPO director-general Margo Palloson said Russia was constantly seeking people willing to carry out such attacks. "Russia is constantly drawing up plans, looking for opportunities and trying to find people willing to carry out attacks," he said, adding that recruits often did not grasp the seriousness of what they were doing and were used as unwitting proxies who were not told they were working for Russian intelligence.⁶

Estonian World reported that Latvian police arrested two Latvian nationals suspected in the attack on August 17, followed by a third suspect a day later, and that searches turned up storage devices and other items thought to have been used to carry it out. The Kyiv Independent reported that three suspects were detained in Latvia days after the attack and handed to Estonian authorities on September 17-18, a sequence disputed by Estonian broadcaster ERR. Prime Minister Kristen Michal said the case marked Russia's first successful attack in Estonia this year, and stated the country would not be intimidated.³⁶¹¹⁸

European reaction

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Russia was pursuing a reckless campaign against alliance members but was not succeeding. He said Moscow persists in a dangerous pattern of hostile acts aimed at NATO members. According to Rutte, these actions are meant to erode alliance resolve and halt aid to Ukraine. He added that Russia is not succeeding, urged allies to stay calm, and said the West must stay alert to Russian threats while trusting in its own greater strength.²⁴

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Estonia and said the growing number of such incidents showed Russia was on a dangerous course. "The proliferation of these hostile acts reflects a dangerous headlong rush by Russia – one that will only lead it into a dead end," he said. Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the incident as highly serious and part of a larger trend. He said such attacks target the whole of Europe. According to Kristersson, the goal is to erode European backing for Ukraine and instill fear. It will not work," he said.²⁴

The European Commission expressed full solidarity with Estonia and said Moscow would not succeed in reducing EU support for Ukraine. Lithuanian Defence Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius cautioned against exaggeration, saying intelligence services had no evidence that Moscow was preparing a larger operation. Estonia summoned Russia's charge d'affaires in Tallinn in response to the attack, while the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association reported collaborating with security agencies to help defence companies develop plans to reduce risk, including proposals to limit public access to business-registry information.²⁶⁸

Kremlin denial and wider pattern

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the accusation. "Such statements are baseless, ill-considered, have absolutely no relation to reality, and lack any form of reasoning," he said, adding in a separate comment that the claims were "unfounded and ill-considered, bear no relation to reality and are entirely without justification."¹⁴⁶

Officials and outlets linked the Milrem case to other suspected Russian sabotage in Europe. Germany has accused Russia of orchestrating an attempted drone attack using an explosives-laden device at Leipzig/Halle Airport in early August, which was described as sharing a similar modus operandi with the Estonian case. Poland has separately warned that Russia could send a drone into NATO territory, possibly framed as accidental, to test allied unity. According to the BBC, Russia was accused or suspected of five separate incidents across Europe in August alone.⁵⁷¹