Estonia gets NATO, EU backing on Russia sabotage claim

NATO and European Union leaders backed Estonia on Tuesday after Tallinn said an investigation found Russia ordered an August 15 arson attack on Milrem Robotics, an Estonian defence company that makes ground drones used in Ukraine. The Kremlin rejected the accusation as baseless.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the attack was “an act of sabotage ordered by the special services of the Russian Federation”. He said the perpetrators had been arrested and Russia's ambassador had been summoned.

A fire broke out in a building used by Milrem Robotics in Tallinn on the night of August 15, according to the Estonian government. Authorities responded immediately and no one was harmed. Three suspects were later detained in Latvia, two of them confirmed as Latvian, and were handed over to Estonia this month.

Tsahkna said the attack was part of what he called a broader Russian campaign across Europe aimed at intimidation and weakening support for Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Estonia's accusation as “baseless” and said it had “absolutely no relation to reality”. He said Moscow would not take the statements seriously.

NATO chief Mark Rutte said Russia was continuing what he called a reckless campaign of hostile actions against NATO allies but was failing to undermine unity and support for Ukraine. European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said the EU stood with Estonia and would not be deterred from backing Kyiv.

French President Emmanuel Macron called the arson attack a “dangerous escalation” by Russia. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and British ambassador to Estonia Jo Lomas also voiced support for Estonia or Ukraine.