Over the weekend, the Estonian police and border guard closed the road between Värska and Saatse. The reason was a Russian armed unit that appeared on the road. The Saatse Boot is a region in Setomaa where Russian territory intersects with Estonian land. There, it is permitted to drive along the road but stopping is not allowed.
The Värska-Utilina road is the only asphalt-type road to Saatse. Other options are a long gravel road or a narrow forest road. In 2024, the government decided to build a new road. The Transport Administration began planning the new road. In 2025, funds were allocated for the road construction.
Construction could not begin because in 2025, the Environmental Board decided to conduct an environmental impact assessment. Protected plants and natural values were found in the landscape. (After the article was published, the Environmental Board stated they had not made such a decision. The Transport Administration initiated the assessment.)
The environmental impact assessment is expected to be completed by August 2026. Then the final road project can begin. Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis said that the weekend's incident highlighted the problems. The government is now discussing how to find a solution more quickly.
The head of the Transport Administration, Priit Sauk, said that construction cannot begin before the environmental impact assessment. Leis mentioned that a possible solution is amending the law. This would allow the road to be built in the name of national security without an environmental impact assessment.
Currently, the plan is expected to be completed by the fall of 2027. If the law is amended, the road could be ready by the fall of 2026. On Thursday, the government will officially discuss the legislative amendment. Leis said that ministers agree the problem needs to be resolved quickly.
The rules for passing through the Saatse Boot derive from a 2003 protocol. It states that vehicles may pass through Russian territory without stopping. Russian border guards may stop vehicles and monitor compliance with the rules. If a vehicle stops due to technical reasons, help must be awaited from the Saatse border post.
The issue of the Saatse Boot has remained unresolved since the 1990s. In 2005, an agreement was reached to eliminate the Saatse Boot, but Russia did not ratify the treaty. In 2014, a new border treaty was signed, but it has not yet entered into force.