The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova commented on a Bloomberg publication reporting that Estonia plans to create a military base in the city of Narva on the border with Russia.
She quoted the chief of the Estonian General Staff, who claimed that "about 200-250 soldiers" will be stationed there.
"The decision is so powerful that you want to hear the answer to only one question: „WHY?“
So that the whole world knows that Estonia has a General Staff," wrote Sergei Lavrov's right-hand man on his channel in Telegram.
Earlier, Bloomberg reported that Estonia was looking for a suitable location to build a new military base near its border with Russia. The likely location is near Narva, Estonia's easternmost city, which is located right on the border.
Here's what else Bloomberg wrote:
Narva has long been a sensitive area. Almost all of its 50,000 residents speak Russian and many of them hold Russian passports. Tensions in the city have been rising since Estonia banned Russian-language education and cracked down on pro-Kremlin Orthodox churches.
The planned military base would house several hundred soldiers and be open to NATO forces, including troops from the United Kingdom and the United States, who are already stationed in Estonia.
Major General Vahur Karus said in a radio interview that building the base would show residents that the Estonian government has a firm presence in the region and would also send a clear message to Russia.
Estonia strongly supports Ukraine and has strained relations with its powerful neighbor. The country has been ramping up its defense efforts for years, doubling its military budget and building border defenses with bunkers and anti-drone systems. Estonia’s intelligence agency believes Russian President Vladimir Putin may be planning to try to push NATO out of the Baltic region.