Andrus Merilo, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, stated during the presentation of the agency’s annual report that next year will be critical for the country’s security.
The publication ERR reported on the release of the document and the main points of the commander’s speech.
According to Andrus Merilo, 2027 is a defining moment because threats are growing, and time to find alternative defense solutions is limited.
One section of the annual report is devoted to Russian military reform, which the aggressor is carrying out simultaneously with hostilities in Ukraine, building up its capabilities despite heavy losses.
The commander dismissed as unfounded hypotheses about a possible Russian attack on NATO in ten years, since the Alliance is growing stronger every day, and Moscow is aware of this pace.
The yearbook also noted delays in the delivery of American ammunition for HIMARS systems, which directly depends on the intensity of the war with Iran.
To prepare for future challenges, the Estonian army has established the Future Capabilities and Innovation Command, which will implement new methods of warfare.
It should be noted that in the event of a complete blockade due to a crisis or war, Estonia’s food reserves should be sufficient to sustain the population for approximately one month; after that, citizens must be prepared to survive on their own for at least another week.
In effect, this means that in the event of complete isolation—by air, land, and sea—Estonia must be capable of functioning autonomously without external connections for at least 30 days.
At the same time, the population is expected to be prepared to survive on their own for at least seven days.
The previous update to the core strategic document took place in 2023. Since then, the international security environment has changed significantly, so a review was initiated last fall.
The explanatory note to the new document emphasizes that Russia remains the greatest threat to the security of Estonia and the entire Euro-Atlantic community, as its imperialist and aggressive policies are aimed at destroying the European security architecture, undermining the rules-based international order, and restoring its own sphere of influence.
