Estonian forces prepare evacuation plans amidst rising tensions
The commander of the Estonian armed forces, Major General Andrus Merilo, warned citizens during a Sunday conference in Tallinn that in the event of an armed conflict, the civilian population must be evacuated from threatened areas or even from all of Estonia.
During the meeting, which was organized for representatives of the construction industry, Merilo emphasized the importance of establishing maritime, land, and air evacuation routes, as reported by Iltalehti.
Moreover, General Merilo noted that the Estonian army's defensive plan includes destroying urban infrastructure if necessary.
"If anyone thinks that the war won't start in Narva—the easternmost city with a majority of Russian-speaking residents—they are mistaken. We must be prepared that the city's infrastructure, including the streets, will be impassable for enemy forces," he acknowledged, emphasizing that if necessary, bridges, buildings, or other structures will be blown up to prevent the movement of a foreign army.
"When Russia goes to war, its aim is always to conquer territory," he summarized.
Possible evacuation of Estonians
The geopolitical situation indicates that in conflict escalation, Estonia and Latvia may be attacked simultaneously. In such a case, the southern evacuation route would become inaccessible.
Out of Estonia's 1.3 million inhabitants, with a third living in Tallinn, Finland could be the first place to receive evacuees. The countries are connected by an approximately 80-kilometre maritime route across the Gulf of Finland.
Although plans to construct the Rail Baltica railway from Tallinn to Warsaw, which could assist in transporting people to Central Europe, are underway, its completion is expected around ten years from now.
