Estonia blames Russia for arson at Milrem Robotics in Tallinn

Estonia's government concluded on 29 September 2026 that Russian special services ordered an arson attack on defence company Milrem Robotics in Tallinn, whose building burned on the night of 15 August. The Internal Security Service gathered the intelligence behind the finding, and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires in Tallinn the same day to deliver a formal condemnation of the attack.theguardian.com+1

The attribution matters because Milrem Robotics supplies Ukraine with THeMIS unmanned ground vehicles, and because Estonia framed the fire as one act in a wider Russian sabotage campaign across Europe. Unlike earlier incidents where Moscow was merely suspected, Estonia now says its own security service has established that the Russian state commissioned this attack, moving the case from suspicion to a formal diplomatic accusation backed by arrests.news.err.ee

What Estonia concluded

Prime Minister Kristen Michal wrote on the social platform X that the arson attack against Milrem Robotics was ordered by Russian special services, and called it part of Russia's broader campaign across Europe to intimidate Estonia and weaken its support for Ukraine. He added that Estonia's response would be stronger security at home, more support for Ukraine and greater pressure on Russia, and that his country would not be intimidated.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the incident forms part of Russia's wider sabotage campaign against Europe, aimed at sowing fear, creating divisions among allies and diverting attention from support for Ukraine. He said Russia's sabotage campaign will not achieve its objectives, and that Estonia and its allies are identifying such attacks, responding jointly and continuing to increase pressure on Russia while providing comprehensive support to Ukraine.

How the suspects were caught

Internal Security Service chief Margo Palloson told broadcaster ERR that Russia was constantly planning, looking for opportunities and trying to find people who would carry out attacks, but that the Milrem arson was its first successful attack in Estonia this year. He confirmed the suspects no longer pose a threat. Palloson also said recruits may be misled or given false justifications to conceal the involvement of the Russian state.

A criminal investigation into the exact circumstances of the fire in Tallinn's Lasnamäe district is continuing, and the Estonian government said preliminary information in the proceedings indicates the attack was commissioned. Russia rejected the accusation. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such statements are baseless, ill-considered, have absolutely no relation to reality and lack any form of reasoning, and that Moscow cannot and will not take them seriously.

Estonia's allies lined up behind its finding. French President Emmanuel Macron said the proliferation of hostile acts reflects a dangerous escalation by Russia that will only lead it into a dead end, and noted Germany had previously blamed Russia for a serious incident at Leipzig airport. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte urged European governments to stay calm and continue supporting Ukraine, saying Russia was failing to undermine allied unity.

How allies responded

The United Kingdom and the European Union also backed Tallinn. UK ambassador to Estonia Jo Lomas said the UK stands with Estonia in confronting these unacceptable attacks and that they would not weaken British resolve or support for Ukraine. An EU spokesman said the 27-member bloc would not cease supporting Ukraine, and EU countries rushed to Estonia's support, saying such attacks would not deter them from helping Kyiv.

The Milrem fire sits within a broader pattern of suspected Russian sabotage in Europe. In August alone, Russia was accused or suspected of the Leipzig airport drone attack in Germany, a major warehouse fire at a defence firm in Bulgaria, an explosion at a munitions factory outside Rome, an attempted arson on a Ukrainian-owned drone maker in Slovakia, and two suspicious fires in Poland.

Estonia's foreign ministry said its representatives also condemned Russia's extensive drone and missile attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks, noting that not a single day passed in August without Russia attacking Ukraine and that daytime drone attacks increased in September. The ministry said nearly 200 civilians have been killed and more than 1,230 injured in September, with civilian infrastructure including ports and residential buildings particularly targeted.

The criminal investigation into the exact circumstances of the Milrem Robotics fire continues in Tallinn's Lasnamäe district, with the three suspects in custody. Estonia's foreign ministry summoned the Russian chargé d'affaires on 29 September 2026, and Tsahkna said Estonia and its allies will continue to expose, deter and respond to sabotage while increasing pressure on Russia and maintaining comprehensive support for Ukraine.