“The European Union expects an explanation by Russia about the removal of the buoys and their immediate return,” he said. Russia has yet to publicly comment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been carrying out a full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022, and has stoked fear in other neighboring countries with revanchist posturing and hybrid mind games.

Each spring, Estonia and Russia install buoys on the Narva River to mark the border, Estonian border guard official Eerik Purgel told local media.

As the river bed changes over time, both countries have to revise…