My Neighbour, Russia
Estonians prepare for a Russian invasion
With the precedent of the war in Ukraine, Estonia lives in fear of being attacked in its turn. Thousands of Estonian civilians, via the Estonian Defense League, are preparing to counter a dreaded invasion. So the country barricades itself, trains its troops and tears itself apart from its Russian-speaking minority. It has even called on robotics and artificial intelligence to defend itself with hybrid weapons.
Ordinary Estonian civilians are preparing for attack from Russia: "I want to defend my country, my right to live in freedom. No one can take that away from me" says a young mother, who joined the Estonian Defense League. Paramilitary groups, like the EDL, use ex-soldiers to train civilians in the basics of battle combat: "as long as I can fight, I'd rather die than see my children killed" says another soldier. Estonia has even called on robotics and artificial intelligence to defend itself with hybrid weapons, that are able to fight autonomously. With 3.2% of Estonia's GDP being spent on defense, Estonia is preparing itself for war. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has gained worldwide recognition since Moscow issued a warrant for her arrest following the dismantlement of Soviet-era monuments. Whilst many supported this move, some Russian-speaking Estonians felt disappointed. "We're grateful and proud. The Russians allowed us to have peace over our heads," says a pro-Russia inhabitant of Narva.
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