Estonia’s Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) temporarily closed the “Saatse Boot” passage - a short section of road that crosses Russian territory - after observing an unusual uptick in Russian border guard activity on Friday evening, Estonian media report.

The closure comes amid heightened Russian military and border activity across the Baltic region, where Estonia and its neighbors have increased surveillance and security measures in response to regional tensions.

Künter Pedoski, head of operations for the PPA’s South Prefecture, said there was “noticeably more movement than usual” on the Russian side. 

“We decided to close the road to prevent possible provocations and incidents, because our goal is to ensure the safety of the Estonian people,” he said in a statement.

The PPA has deployed additional resources to the area and set up a detour to redirect local traffic.

The Saatse Boot is a small pocket of Russian land that juts into southeastern Estonia, where a local road briefly runs through Russian territory. Vehicles are normally allowed to pass through without stopping, under long-standing arrangements between the two countries.