Toomas Hendrik Ilves warns Estonia will shoot unmarked armed forces

Former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves has issued a stern warning regarding potential Russian hybrid warfare tactics. Addressing the scenario of ‘green men’—unmarked armed forces used by Russia during the 2014 annexation of Crimea—Ilves stated that Estonia would no longer tolerate such ambiguity.

In an interview with the Polish portal Onet, Ilves declared that if armed individuals without official insignia appear on Estonian territory, they will be treated as hostile forces. He stated, ‘If people show up here, armed and without insignia – then we shoot them.’ He emphasized that since 2014, Estonia has maintained a clear stance that unmarked armed personnel cannot operate within its borders under the guise of being unidentified.

Despite this firm stance, Ilves noted that he does not currently foresee an imminent Russian invasion, citing a lack of visible military and logistical preparations required for such an operation. He also dismissed claims that Russia could use Estonia’s Russian-speaking population as a tool for intervention, asserting that these citizens do not wish to be part of Russia and would resist an invasion.