The Police and Border Guard Department (PPA) of Estonia decided to close the passage through the so-called Saatse Boot, part of the territory of the Kruppsky volost of the Pechora district of the Pskov region of Russia, jutting into Estonian territory (Võru County in south-eastern Estonia). This was reported by state television and radio ERR.
According to the report, the measure was introduced on the evening of October 10 after border guards noticed the movement of a larger unit than usual on the territory of the Russian Federation.
“Russian border guards regularly patrol in the Saatse Boot area, since this is their territory. On Friday, more active movement than usual was noticed there. We decided to close the road in order to avoid possible provocations and incidents, since our goal is to ensure the safety of the residents of Estonia,” explained the operational head of the Lyuna prefecture, Künter Pedosk.
According to him, at first patrols were stationed at both ends of the road, which informed drivers about the situation and recommended temporarily avoiding the area, but some still continued traffic.
“As the road passes through Russian territory, you must always be especially careful, but in the current conditions, according to the PPA, travel is associated with an increased risk. To avoid a possible escalation, we have decided to temporarily close the traffic,” he added.
The Police and Border Guard Department has strengthened its presence in the area. The detour is organized through populated areas Värska, Treski, Matsuri and Sesniki.