Estonia will keep the Narva River bridge on the Russian border closed to vehicular traffic as long as the war in Ukraine continues, Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR) reported.
Authorities said any decision to resume car traffic across the Narva bridge will hinge on the political situation and security conditions in the region, not on construction timelines on the Russian side. The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) said reopening the Narva-1 checkpoint to vehicles would only be possible after Russia’s war against Ukraine ends, according to ERR.
Car traffic between Narva and the Russian town of Ivangorod has been halted since February 2024 due to bridge reconstruction on the Russian side. Moscow has pledged to finish the work in 2026, though the head of Russia’s Federal Customs Service, Valery Pikalev, has suggested it could be completed in 2025, ERR reported.
Veiko Kommusaar, head of Estonia’s Border Guard, said the technical timetable for repairs is not decisive. As long as Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine continues, he said, authorities see no reason to ease travel into Russia by reopening the bridge to vehicles.
Since February 1, 2024, the eastern border at Narva can only be crossed on foot.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Estonian city of Narva could be Putin’s next target. Estonian and other Baltic officials say they are working to meet the challenge, from military investments to diplomatic and intelligence efforts.
