Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Department has published its annual report, which concludes that Russia has no intention of launching a military attack against Estonia or any other NATO member state in the near future.
However, the agency noted that Russia is increasing the size of its armed forces and replenishing reserves of strategic artillery ammunition.
In addition, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being formed on the principle of a massive army, foreign media write, reports Telegraph.
The report also stated that controlling Ukraine is an obsession for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as in his mind this would restore Russia’s position as a great power on the global stage, with the right to make decisions about European security, and that peace talks are the only way to win the war.
“Russia remains a dangerous country despite its incompetence, and vigilance is necessary to prevent the expansion of the ‘Russian world,'” Kaupo Rosin, Director General of Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Department, said in a foreword to the report, adding that for now, “there is no reason to panic.”
The published report notes that Russia’s military-industrial complex has increased the production of artillery ammunition more than 17 times since 2021.
And given increased production and significant imports, Russia will likely be able to replenish some of its strategic reserves of artillery ammunition, despite the ongoing war with Ukraine.
For the Kremlin, maintaining such reserves is almost certainly an important element of planning for potential future conflicts.
According to Tallinn, Moscow is expanding by “squeezing” traditional sectors of the economy.
Tallinn stressed that Russia has tried to create an image that it is capable of fighting for a long time and nothing is affecting it, but the situation in the country is bad.
The report also warns that the Kremlin appears to be on the verge of further tightening its control over dissidents within the country, as it envisages tougher measures to limit independent access to information in online media to be implemented in 2026. /Telegrafi/