Crisis exercises KILP and Miljon miksi to take place in Virumaa at the end of April

From April 28 to May 2, state authorities will conduct crisis response exercises in Ida and Lääne-Viru counties. During the exercises, the Narva border crossing point as well as the service offices in Rakvere, Jõhvi, and Narva will be closed.

The long-planned joint exercise KILP will take place from April 28 to May 2, during which the East Prefecture of the Police and Border Guard Board (PBGB), the Estonian Defence League, and the Estonian Defence Forces will train for response to a migration crisis. In parallel, from April 29 to 30, the Estonian Defence League and the Estonian Rescue Board will carry out exercise Miljon miksi to practice civilian evacuation. According to the exercise scenario, a migration attack begins at the Estonian border and escalates into a crisis. The situation has previously been played out in tabletop exercises and will now be practiced in real-life conditions.

“The exercises KILP and Miljon miksi were initiated years ago by the Regional Command North-East of the Defence League to practice tasks arising from Estonia’s defence plan and comprehensive national defence. These exercises offer us, and all cooperation partners a valuable opportunity to test our planned activities on the ground,” said Lieutenant Colonel Jaanus Ainsalu, Head of the Regional Command.

According to Indrek Püvi, the PBGB’s lead for the exercise, the threat of a migration attack has increased in recent years, making it essential to prepare for such situations. “Although Estonia has not faced the same level of pressure from migration attacks as Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, or Poland, we cannot rule out the possibility that such an operation might be carried out against us as well. The aim of this exercise is to practice managing migration pressure and a national defence crisis in cooperation with the Defence League and Defence Forces, so that we know how to act in a real situation,” Püvi explained.

“As the scenario progresses, we reach a pre-war phase, which means the PBGB will hand over control of the Narva border crossing point to the Defence League. The 1st Infantry Brigade of the Defence Forces will also be involved, practicing providing professional assistance to the PBGB during a national defence crisis. For example, servicemen from the Engineer Battalion will assist in reinforcing the state border and constructing barriers at the border crossing point. Other units of the 1st Infantry Brigade will also be involved according to the exercise scenario,” the exercise lead added.

Due to the exercise, the Narva border crossing point will be temporarily closed from April 30 to May 2, and the PBGB service offices in Jõhvi, Narva, and Rakvere will be closed from April 29 to May 1.

“We are closing the border crossing point to rehearse, under as realistic conditions as possible, a situation where the border must be closed due to the threat of mass migration, and officers from the border crossing point are redirected to the border to address potential illegal entry attempts. The service offices will be closed to practice procedures at PBGB facilities under elevated threat levels,” Püvi explained.

From April 30 to May 2, travellers can use the Koidula and Luhamaa border crossing points, which are open 24/7 and allow vehicle crossings. During this period, document applicants can use the PBGB self-service portal to apply for documents and choose Selver stores as the pickup point.

The evacuation exercise Miljon miksi of the Defence League and Rescue Board will take place as both a command post and field exercise, with the involvement of local municipalities. According to the scenario, on April 30, people will be evacuated from Narva and Sillamäe and transported to Jõhvi and Rakvere. The role of evacuees will be played by 200 conscripts in civilian clothing, and the relocation will not affect local residents.

“The aim of the Rescue Board is to practice evacuation procedures in cooperation with the Defence League. This year, the focus is on organising the operations of transport and assembly points and on information exchange with the regional headquarters. At these points, we will be supported by the Defence League’s designated evacuation task force, whose tasks are carried out by members of the Women's Voluntary Defence Organisation. The evacuees will be played by conscripts. The evacuation exercise will not interfere with the daily lives of local residents,” explained Indrek Pung, Head of the Crisis Bureau at the Eastern Regional Rescue Service.

The PBGB, Rescue Board, Defence League, and Defence Forces kindly ask the public to follow the instructions of the exercise organisers during the training period. Please be aware that due to the exercises, there may be increased traffic on public roads, and movement in the vicinity of certain exercise-related sites may be more restricted than usual.