Estonia foils Russian hybrid operation, detains 10
Photo: Estonia exposed the hybrid operation of the Russian Federation (facebook.com poliziyajapiirivaleamet)
Estonia successfully stopped a hybrid operation of the Russian special services, 10 people were detained as part of the investigation of the criminal case, according to the Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas and the Internal Security Service of Estonia.
Statement by Kallas
"Estonia has successfully stopped a hybrid operation by Russia's security services on our territory," she wrote.
According to Kallas, in Estonia, they are aware that the Kremlin is targeting all democratic societies.
"Our answer: be open and reveal their methods. This is the way to deter harmful actions and make us resilient," she added.
What is known about operation
The security police found the suspects of damaging the cars belonging to Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemetsand the journalist of the Delfi portal Andrei Šumakov.
In total, 10 people were detained as part of the investigation of the criminal case. The police believe that they acted on the instructions of the Russian special services.
"From December to February, the police detained 10 people who are suspected of committing actions on behalf of the Russian special services. Among the suspects are those who damaged the cars of the minister and the journalist," the state prosecutor's office reported on Tuesday.
Number of suspects may increase
According to state prosecutor Triinu Olev, among those detained are citizens of Estonia, citizens of the Russian Federation, and persons with dual citizenship. Olev noted that the suspects received money for their actions.
"The fee was not significant and certainly not worth the risk," said the general director of the police, Margo Palloson, at the press conference.
According to the suspicion, the detainees knew that they were acting on behalf of the Russian special services.
"Mostly they were recruited through a group on social media, but among the detainees, there were also residents of Russia who were recruited in the Russian Federation. There were orders for specific monuments. We prevented some of the plans, these people had intentions to smash a few more cars. Most of the detainees had been there before known to the police. We do not rule out that the number of suspects may increase," Palloson added.
Purpose of operation
According to the statement of the State Prosecutor's Office, the data collected so far during the investigation of the criminal case indicate that the Russian special services coordinated a hybrid operation against the security of Estonia involving the suspects detained to date.
"As far as the Internal Security Service knows, the purpose of this operation was to sow fear and create tension in Estonian society," added the prosecutor's office.
According to the investigation, the suspects, who acted on the instructions of the Russian special services, had different roles. Some gathered information to prepare crimes, and some were executors.
Among other things, as the Estonian law enforcement officers assure, they were tasked with vandalizing memorials.
Car damage
At the beginning of December 2023, the window of the car of the Minister of the Interior, the head of the Social Democratic Party, Lauri Läänemet, was broken.
The police reported that two more cars had been damaged in Tallinn. One of them belonged to the journalist of the Delfi portal Andrei Šumakov, editor-in-chief of the Russian-language Delfi portal.
Russian spies in European countries
Recently, the European Parliament initiated the beginning of the verification of the previously stated facts regarding the possible cooperation of deputy Tatjana Ždanoka with the Federal Security Service of Russia.
Also, recently employees of the Polish Internal Security Agency detained a man who acted on the order of the Russian special services.
