Estonia has raised its alert level following what officials describe as unusual Russian military activity near a sensitive border crossing.

The border crossing in question runs through an area known as the Saatse Boot, a one-kilometer stretch of road that briefly passes through Russian territory before re-entering Estonia.

On the evening of October 9, border guards noticed an increased presence of Russian border guards and possibly other armed personnel on the Russian side in the vicinity of the Saatse Boot.

The group appeared larger than usual, and at one point, some formed a line across the road, an action Estonian officials described as “a clear danger.”

In response, Estonia temporarily closed the road passage through the Saatse Boot to all traffic.

Authorities said the closure was precautionary, intended to protect Estonian citizens and prevent any possible incidents. The closure will remain in effect at least until Tuesday, according to officials.

Interior Minister Igor Taro emphasized that while the incident has heightened concern, there is no indication of an imminent military invasion. Estonia's Defence Forces have recently raise their alert status after a Russian jet entered its airspace for approximately 12 minutes.

Neighboring Lithuania is also taking precautionary measures.

Officials there have been preparing contingency plans for large-scale evacuation in case of escalation or attack by Russia.

According to national security planners, roughly 400,000 people — those living within 40 kilometers of Lithuania’s borders with Russia and Belarus — could need to relocate under emergency scenarios.

Parts of western Lithuania, particularly the city of Kaunas, are being readied to shelter hundreds of thousands of evacuees, using schools, universities, churches, and public arenas.

Lithuania’s capital Vilnius has also unveiled a detailed evacuation plan, including identifying evacuation routes, expanding transport infrastructure, and designating assembly points.

Meanwhile, Russia has publicly criticized certain Polish military deployments, alleging that Poland is positioning forces in a manner that threatens the security of Kaliningrad — the Russian exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.

State-backed media outlet TASS reported on remarks by military expert Alexander Stepanov, who asserted that Poland had moved up to 5,000 troops to its borders with Lithuania and Germany under the pretext of supporting its Border Guard services.

Russian sources characterized these movements as part of a larger strategy they believe could include a blockade of Kaliningrad, restricting its supply lines, or even neutralizing parts of the Baltic Fleet’s retaliatory capability.

Poland acknowledges that it has reinforced border security, citing legal mandates to preserve the integrity of its national borders, ensure public safety, and maintain order. The decree authorizing the deployment of troops to border areas with Lithuania and Germany was formally issued by President Karol Nawrocki on October 3.