Russia itself provided the impetus for a broader campaign to remove Soviet monuments when it launched a full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022. Subsequently, Soviet monuments began to be removed from public spaces across all Eastern European countries that Soviet soldiers had once occupied.

Moscow marked its territory with Soviet monuments, signaling that all places where Red Army soldiers had set foot belonged to them. For this reason, Soviet fake war graves—or monument graves—can be found in public places throughout Eastern European countries, with no one actually buried beneath them. Understandably, these markers must be removed. Claiming another country's territory as one's own was the reason Russia launched its conquest of Ukraine.

The proper place for a real war grave is in a cemetery. A cemetery is also the right place where people can remember loved ones and ancestors who died in war. Remembering the deceased is a human activity that should not be resented or forbidden by anyone, regardless of what color uniform an ancestor wore when fighting in World War II. This can be done with dignity in a cemetery, by placing flowers and candles on the grave.

The removal of Soviet monuments has brought about a positive trend whereby the commemoration of May 9th becomes more civilized year after year.

May 9th events have indeed become more civilized in recent times thanks to the absence of such Soviet monuments in public spaces—for example, the notorious Narva tank monument, which was removed in August 2022 and relocated to the Viimsist War Museum. When Postimees made a report from Narva on this year's May 9th, it surprisingly emerged that the location where the tank once stood has become overgrown with weeds and no one has placed even a single carnation or candle there. The now-forgotten tank was still a hotly contested flashpoint of ethnic conflict just a few years ago.

Let the fate of the Narva tank serve as an example for all other Soviet monuments. While many have indeed been removed, quite a few still remain in Estonia. Significant work lies ahead, particularly regarding buildings where Soviet symbols are still visible. The Soviet Union's coat of arms has not even been removed from the side of the Kohtla-Järve Cultural Center, despite 35 years having passed since the death of the communist empire. The buildings on Tartu Town Hall Square bear hammer and sickle depictions that are even under monument protection. The Soviet Monuments Act, which would provide the legal basis for removing them, has been stuck in the corridors of power for the third year running.

Postimees fully supports the removal of Soviet monuments glorifying foreign occupation from public spaces. First, this is symbolically important in demonstrating who is in charge in the Estonian Republic. Second, practical experience confirms that these monuments only generate conflicts. Third, Soviet monuments symbolize Russian domination over other countries' territories and give them yet another pretext to cause all manner of trouble in Estonia as well. The fewer of them in public spaces, the better for Estonia.

Russia has never been an easy and friendly neighbor. On the contrary, through its intimidation tactics, it has shown that it cannot be trusted, and relations depend on how the winds blow from the Kremlin. Agreements mean nothing to them, they do not want to see democracy or human rights next to them. The construction of a modern border between Estonia and Russia that reflects current relations has been delayed for a long time, despite the continuously difficult situation and relationship. For many years we waited for a border treaty to begin work, until we realized it might never come. Therefore, in recent years, we have been very deliberately building a modern border between two countries and two worldviews.

The EU has given us serious support for this. We have procured, installed, and maintain the surveillance and monitoring technology for the vast majority of Estonia's eastern border – which is also the EU's external border – precisely with EU support: drones, land and water vehicles for patrols, various cameras, radars, and other modern surveillance and monitoring equipment that helps keep an eye on the border. Thanks to this, the border is better protected, movement is smoother, and we have significantly better ability to prevent and stop cross-border crime.

The volume of special projects carried out with external funding, through which border capacity is currently being created, is 77.6 million euros. As a next step, we are requesting 36.2 million euros as a special measure to develop an integrated drone detection and air surveillance system – in simpler terms, to see better what is happening in our airspace and to be able to quickly respond to unwanted drones if necessary.

We have used and continue to use EU funds successfully for organizing border guard training and large-scale exercises, as well as for implementing pan-European border management reforms of significant importance.

It is also good to know and feel that we do not guard the border between good and evil alone.

Beyond financial contribution, cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, is extremely important to us. They have already established a regional operations center in Estonia, from which eastern border operations are coordinated from Sweden to Slovakia. Frontex officials patrol the land border and patrol the Narva River with boats, and additionally support us at border checkpoints.

Good, but not widely known news is that Frontex's rapid response unit will soon begin operations in Estonia. Frontex officials receive training in Estonia, we are assisted here, and when necessary, they travel across Europe to resolve various crises.

We already know that the state's supplementary budget ensures that border construction will not stall due to lack of funds or other shortages. We want the best border – with this goal in mind we have acted so far and will continue to do so in the future. It is good to know and feel that we do not guard the border between good and evil alone – through Frontex, officials from other member states and Frontex itself also contribute to guarding our borders.

Overview of Works at the Border

Surveillance Work

New video and surveillance technology is already operational on the land border over sections of approximately 60 km; an additional 47 kilometers of border covered with surveillance technology will be completed next year.

At the beginning of this year, we have received three mobile surveillance systems from Estonian defense technology company DefsecIntel. Two of them cover and operate on the land border; the third is being reconfigured for drone surveillance.

On the Narva River border, five new surveillance positions with the necessary infrastructure were completed at the end of last year. The establishment of surveillance positions is a prerequisite for installing and operating video and surveillance technology as well as drone detection and countermeasure equipment. Surveillance technology will be installed this year. We are currently testing drone detection equipment, and as a result, we will be able to procure the best available for our border.

We will purchase both drone detection and countermeasure equipment this year and next year.

Infrastructure Works

We will complete the final phase of eastern land border infrastructure construction (patrol roads, delay fences, access roads, 11 new surveillance positions, communications) this year, and this means that the infrastructure necessary for border protection will be fully built from the tripoint (Estonia-Latvia-Russia) to Värska.

The Luhamaa cordon will be renovated and a new operations center will be established there, which will be completed this year.

Border infrastructure construction works will continue along the Narva River, from Narva to Vasknarva, and will be completed in the current year. Thanks to this, situational awareness and response speed to events occurring in that border area will improve. All works are expected to be completed by May 2027, but patrol roads and access roads being built this year will be usable by year's end.