Photo: screenshot from video provided by Estonian border services
According to the agreement between Estonia and Russia, the shipping routes along Narva river are retraced annually due to the natural changes to the riverbed and buoys are placed every spring to allow for safe navigation. According to Estonian authorities, Russia has been contesting the buoys' positions since Moscow'sfull-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas described the removal of the buoys as a "border incident" and said the Estonia had contacted Russia for information.
"This is a border incident, the precise circumstances of which we are clarifying," she told reporters.
She added that "Russia uses tools related to the border to create fear and anxiety, with which to sow insecurity in our societies. We see a broader pattern of this."
EU's High Representative Josep Borrell in a statement on Friday has called the removal of the buoys "unacceptable" and "part of a broader pattern of provocative behaviour and hybrid actions by Russia."
Reuters/AFP