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Michal says the arson attack in Tallinn was ordered by Russian special services

September 29, 2026

Estonian leaders say Russian special services ordered last month's arson attack on Milrem Robotics, a Tallinn firm that makes unmanned military vehicles for Ukraine.

Moscow faces accusations of sabotage attacks in several Nato countries that have helped Ukraine since Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Key facts

Estonia's government blames Russia for last month's arson attack on Milrem Robotics in Tallinn, and the BBC reports the charge from the prime minister, the foreign minister and the security service together. Prime Minister Kristen Michal says Russian special services ordered the attack on the company, a maker of unmanned military vehicles for Ukraine, though the BBC notes he offered no details. Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna cites information gathered by the Internal Security Service and says "we can conclude with certainty that the arson attack... was an act of sabotage ordered by the special services of the Russian Federation". Bloomberg's headline carries the same attribution, and The Guardian and ABC News carry the announcement as well.

The Moscow Times and ABC News carry the security service's own statement, in which KAPO says "The modus operandi of the Milrem attack is consistent with other acts of sabotage carried out in Europe on behalf of Russia" and adds that the activities aim to weaken support for Ukraine. Security service chief Margo Palloson told ERR that Russia was "constantly planning, looking for opportunities, trying to find people who would carry out attacks", and she counts the Tallinn fire as the first of its attacks to succeed this year. The BBC adds that Estonia received three suspects from Latvia by extradition earlier this month, after their arrest there.

The BBC places the attack in a wider pattern: in August, Russia was accused or suspected of an attack at Leipzig airport in Germany, a warehouse fire at a defence firm in Bulgaria, a munitions factory explosion near Rome, two suspicious fires in Poland and an attempted arson at a Ukrainian-owned drone maker in Slovakia. Rutte said, “Russia continues its reckless campaign of hostile actions against Nato allies. It is trying to weaken our resolve and stop our support for Ukraine. But Russia is failing. It is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine and it is failing to undermine our unity and support for Ukraine.” French President Emmanuel Macron, responding to Estonia's assessment, said "the multiplication of these hostile acts represents a dangerous escalation by Russia, which will only lead it into a dead end". The BBC also notes that Russia always rejects involvement in such attacks. The outlets agree on whom Estonia blames and on the arrests; the evidence behind the order Michal describes has not been laid out in public.

In a statement, KAPO said, “The modus operandi of the Milrem attack is consistent with other acts of sabotage carried out in Europe on behalf of Russia,” and it added that the activities aim to weaken support for Ukraine.

KAPO

Still developing

The details of how Russian special services ordered the Milrem attack had not moved as of this draft.

How settled the reporting is

Reported 100% · Contested 0% · Developing 0%

Sources

Toggle read the full reports of 6 of the 7 outlets counted on this event. The other 1 are counted from their headlines and opening sentences.