(CNN) — Russian authorities on Tuesday launched criminal proceedings against Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, charges the leader of the Baltic state alleged were politically motivated.
The Kremlin accused Kallas, Estonian Secretary of State Taimar Peterkop and Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys of destroying or damaging monuments to Soviet monuments in memory of Soviet soldiers, Russia’s state-run Tass news reported. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the charges in a call with journalists but did not clarify when the supposed crime took place.
Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, Kallas announced that Estonia would remove all of the country’s Soviet monuments from public spaces.
On Tuesday, Kallas said on social media the move was unsurprising and is proof that she is “doing the right thing” by supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia.
“Throughout history, Russia has veiled its repressions behind so-called law enforcement agencies,” Kallas said, citing the cases of her grandmother and mother, who she said were deported to Siberia after the KGB issued arrest warrants on them.
“The Kremlin now hopes this move will help to silence me and others – but it won’t. The opposite. I will continue my strong support to Ukraine,” she said.
Estonia, a former part of the Soviet Union, joined the European Union and acceded to NATO in 2004. NATO’s expansion to Russia’s border has long rankled with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who views the alliance as an existential threat.
A report by the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said Russia may consider doubling the number of troops stationed on its border with the Baltic countries and increasing those on its frontier with Finland, which joined NATO last year.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna also on Tuesday delivered his annual foreign policy speech, which included fiery anti-Russian remarks and a full-throated backing for Ukraine.
“No one wants to live in a world where Putins roam, kidnapping and orphaning children, attempting to cancel their neighbors and mining nuclear power plants,” he said. “Aggression must not succeed; it must not become a new acceptable reality. Otherwise, the world will become the domain of force, arrogance, callousness, authoritarianism.”
(Copyright (c) 2026 CNN. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)