Estonia hands protest note to Russia after unauthorised border crossing

Estonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed over a protest note to the Russian embassy on Thursday after three Russian border guards crossed into Estonian territory without permission, Report informs via ERR.

The MFA summoned the Russian Federation's chargé d'affaires to express protest and deliver an official note regarding the unlawful crossing of the "temporary control line" – the border – on December 17.

The violation occurred on the Narva River at the Vasknarva breakwater in eastern Estonia, where Russian border guards were present on Estonian territory without authorization for approximately 20 minutes. It is not known if the act was a deliberate provocation.

"We have increased monitoring in the area and are ready to respond," Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.

A meeting of Russian and Estonian border guards took place at the scene of the violation at 1 p.m. on Thursday. Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said the Russian side delayed the meeting for two hours "for technical reasons."