«La phase zéro de sa campagne de préparation à une guerre future» : pourquoi des soldats russes masqués à la frontière estonienne inquiètent fortement
Several Russian soldiers wearing masks have been spotted by Estonian border guards in recent days. The last time such disguises were worn by Russian forces came shortly after the country's attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014.
A major source of concern. Estonia is alarmed by the presence of masked "little green men," the name given to Russian soldiers in unmarked uniforms. If recent history is any guide, their presence does not bode well for Tallinn.
After learning of the presence of these Russian forces on the country's border with Russia, the Estonian government decided to partially close the section of road that runs along this geographical boundary. The head of the Southern Prefecture of the Estonian Police and Border Guard, Meelis Saarepuu, explained on Saturday, October 10, that a section of road approximately one kilometer long between Värska and Saatse was temporarily inaccessible.
No fewer than seven armed and masked Russian soldiers were indeed observed there the day before, Friday, October 9. Their uniforms were different from those usually used for border guard duties, even though Russia claimed they were carrying out a routine operation.
On Sunday, October 12, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsakhna said Russian troops were "operating more assertively and visibly than before," even as he continued to deny that the situation on the border between the two nations was becoming tense.
The American think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), for its part, is more concerned about the situation in Eastern Europe. According to this think tank, "Russia has entered phase zero of its campaign to prepare for a possible future war with NATO." It even explains that "it is at this stage that the informational and psychological conditions are created," not ruling out the possibility of an imminent offensive decided by Moscow.
The sighting of the "little green men" is so concerning for the ISW, in particular because their last recorded presence preceded by a few days the Russian offensive in Crimea (Ukraine), in 2014. The expression "little green men" comes from that year, when green military agents without identifying elements, equipped with weapons and modern military equipment, appeared during the early stages of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Referred to as "polite people" by the Russian press, they comprise Russian military forces comprising a mix of special operations forces, GRU Spetsnaz units, and paratroopers from the VDV's 45th Guards Spetsnaz Brigade.
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