Stenbock House, Tallinn (CHATNEWSTV) – The Estonian Government on Thursday approved the allocation of the €219 million investment in comprehensive national defence in order to strengthen the Estonian preparedness for crises.
According to a press statement released by the office of the Estonian Prime Minister, investment will be made in the crisis reserve of the police, the eastern border and emergency stocks, as well as the development of civil protection and the prevention of and response to hybrid threats.
The statement also stated that, “crisis reserve will be set up in the Police and Border Guard Board to strengthen comprehensive national defence. For this purpose, a crisis reserve group consisting of 1,000 members of the Defence Forces who have served in the military police will be formed. Approximately €26 million will be allocated for the establishment of the crisis reserve.”
Key allocations include €26 million for establishing a 1,000-member crisis reserve within the Police and Border Guard Board, staffed by Defence Forces veterans who previously served in the military police. An additional €24.5 million will go toward improving armament and training for police and rescue units.
The statement further stated that “As an important step, the trauma reserves of 18 hospitals will be increased so that the hospitals can better cope with emergencies lasting for up to six days.”
“Approximately €24.6 million will be allocated for this purpose, which will improve the ability of the health care system to respond to situations where hospitals receive significantly more trauma patients than usual.”
A strong emphasis will be placed on reinforcing the infrastructure of the eastern border, finalising its construction and developing surveillance capabilities. Approximately €18 million will be allocated for this.
Drone surveillance and counter-drone capability will be set up on the eastern border and in the four largest cities in Estonia. Approximately €12.5 million will be allocated for these activities.
The skills necessary in crises will be instilled throughout society. Crisis training will be organised for the general public, managers of authorities and rescue workers. A major nationwide crisis exercise will be carried out in 2026. Local authorities will also receive additional support in preparing for crises: a system of crisis specialists will be set up in the Rescue Board to help local authorities organise critical services and prepare for crises. Approximately €15.2 million in total will be allocated for these activities.
The state’s IT, communication and cyber defence capabilities will be enhanced, which includes improving the continuity of operational communications. ERR and Levira will increase data transmission capacity in base stations and TV production, and back-up generators will be procured. The goal is to ensure the functioning of radio and TV channels during large-scale power and communication outages.
The Government allocated an additional €219 million to comprehensive national defence during the preparation of the state budget last September. As the distribution of the additional funding between the different areas was not known at the time, it was confirmed today in both the detailed view of the 2025 budget and the aggregate view of the period from 2024 to 2028.
