Estonia Detains Record Number of Russian Intelligence Agents Last Year

In Estonia in 2025, authorities detained a record number of people who had been cooperating with Russian special services.

Margo Palloson, the head of the Estonian Internal Security Service, told ERR that 16 agents were uncovered.

They were linked to Russia’s Federal Security Service and the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, its military intelligence agency.

“Since the beginning of last year, we have detained and stopped the activities of 16 agents of Russian special services. Most of them were agents of the Federal Security Service, while some were from the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation,” he told the media.

He added that their activities were halted at a relatively early stage and that the Russian agents were unable to cause significant harm to Estonia’s security.

Marta Tuul, a spokesperson for the agency, told journalists that Russian special services are trying to recruit so-called “easy” agents – people willing to hold tasks on their behalf.

“But this record year shows they are not succeeding. Our officers are highly capable and catch them quickly, so there is no reason for concern,” Tuul said.

Marta Tuul said that Russian special services are increasingly using social media to recruit citizens.

She also explained that Russian operatives are trying to find one-time agents to carry out acts of vandalism, such as damaging or defacing memorials or committing similar acts.

According to her, traveling to Russia also poses a significant risk for Estonian citizens, as intelligence officers operate at the border, where they profile individuals and may approach them with offers of cooperation.

Last month, a journalist from Baltic Sentinel infiltrated a private Telegram group where supporters of radical views discussed plans to create a so-called “Narva People’s Republic.”

In the closed chat, members coordinate actions to destabilize the situation in Narva. They spread pro-Russian narratives, call for the separation of border regions, and aim to undermine the sovereignty of Estonia.