In Estonia, a decision has been made to confiscate weapons from Russian citizens residing in the country for security reasons, as reported by Yle.
This applies to both Russians, Belarusians, and stateless individuals, who collectively own about three thousand firearms.
One of the reasons for this decision is the involvement of Russian residents in Estonia in the aggressive war against Ukraine.
Anneli Annist, the head of the licensing department at the Police and Border Guard Board, explained this decision as a measure of internal security. She noted that the goal is to confiscate weapons from the homes of individuals who may not share the values ​​of the country.
Annist also mentioned the Russian constitution as an additional reason for revoking licenses. She believes that Russian citizens have a duty to defend their country, and given the events in Ukraine, there is a danger that weapons could be used against Estonia.
The number of requests for firearm licenses has significantly increased since the start of Russia's aggressive war. Consequently, the police have become stricter in reviewing applications. Licenses that have been annulled were revoked on March 15, and firearm owners were offered the option to surrender or sell their weapons to the police. They have one year to make a decision, otherwise, the police will forcibly repurchase the weapons.
