US Sends New Unit to Estonia Amid Russian-Ordered Sabotage Probe

The United States will deploy another rotational military unit to Estonia in November, restoring a presence comparable in size and capability to the US unit that left the country in the spring, Estonian and US officials said. “I am very pleased that another US rotational unit will deploy to Estonia as part of the US commitment to collective defense,” US Ambassador to Estonia Roman Pipko said.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “This demonstrates the strength of the US-Estonia relationship as both of our countries remain committed to security in the region,” he added. Pipko thanked Estonia for hosting and training American troops and said the incoming rotation would further strengthen joint readiness “to deter and defend against any threats.” Estonia’s Defense Ministry has said the new US unit is expected to arrive in November and will be comparable in size and capability to the American force that rotated out earlier this year. The deployment comes amid mounting concern in Estonia and across NATO over what allied governments describe as Russian hybrid operations targeting European states supporting Ukraine. Estonia Says Russian Intelligence Ordered Attack on Defense Firm Supplying Ukraine On Tuesday, Estonia said Russian security services ordered an August arson attack against Milrem Robotics, an Estonian defense company whose unmanned ground vehicles are used by Ukrainian forces. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said authorities had concluded “with certainty” that the Aug. 15 fire was a deliberate act of sabotage commissioned by Russian special services. Other Topics of Interest Zelensky Approves October Long-Range Operations, Promises F-16 Reinforcements Ukraine has identified the first prototypes of a system to counter jet-powered Shahed drones, President Volodymyr Zelensky said after meeting defense officials. Estonia’s Internal Security Service, KAPO, said the attack had been planned in advance and assessed that it was directly attributable to the Russian Federation. The agency said its methods were consistent with other suspected Russian sabotage operations in Europe. Milrem Robotics produces THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles supplied to Ukraine. Fifteen were already operating in Ukraine by late 2025, according to company information cited by Breaking Defense, with more than 150 additional systems planned under a Dutch-funded program. The fire broke out overnight on Aug. 15 at a building used by Milrem Robotics in Tallinn. Emergency crews contained the blaze, and nobody was injured. Three suspects were subsequently detained in Latvia and transferred to Estonia, where they remain in custody as the criminal investigation continues. Tsahkna said the operation formed part of a wider Russian campaign intended to intimidate European governments and weaken their backing for Ukraine. Russia’s chargé d’affaires in Tallinn was summoned over the incident. The Kremlin rejected Estonia’s findings. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the accusation unfounded and said Moscow would not take it seriously. NATO: Russia failing to break support for Ukraine The Estonian announcement triggered a wave of support from NATO and European leaders, who linked the sabotage to a broader campaign of Russian pressure against countries backing Kyiv. “Russia continues its reckless campaign of hostile actions against NATO allies,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said. “It is trying to weaken our resolve and stop our support for Ukraine,” he added, arguing that Moscow had failed both to achieve its objectives on the battlefield and to fracture allied unity behind Kyiv. The European Union also backed Estonia, describing the arson attack as reckless and saying Moscow would not succeed in forcing Europe to reduce its support for Ukraine. European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said Russia was attempting to frighten European countries into pulling back from Kyiv, but insisted that effort would fail. French President Emmanuel Macron described the attack as a “dangerous escalation” and placed it within what he called a growing pattern of hostile Russian acts against European states. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys likewise said the incident demonstrated that Russian hostile activity did not stop at Ukraine’s borders, while Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics argued that the response should include further assistance for Kyiv. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called Estonia’s attribution “extremely serious,” while Britain’s ambassador to Estonia, Jo Lomas, said such attacks would not weaken allied support for Ukraine. The response reinforced a broader message from governments along NATO’s eastern flank: pressure attributed to Moscow has strengthened, rather than diminished, calls for stronger defenses and continued support for Kyiv. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have sharply increased defense spending since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and remain among Kyiv’s strongest supporters. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.