Estonia braces for potential evacuation amid 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, there is a need to prepare for the evacuation of the civilian population from threatened areas or even from the whole of Estonia.
During the meeting organised for construction industry representatives, Merilo emphasised 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, emphasising 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 summarised.
Possible evacuation of Estonians
The geopolitical situation indicates that Estonia and Latvia may be attacked simultaneously in the event of conflict escalation. 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. A 50-mile maritime route across the Gulf of Finland connects the countries.
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 planned for around ten years from now.
