Russia detained an Estonian, accusing him of trying to join Ukraine’s armed forces. He had come to see his wife, whom Estonia had denied asylum.

Russia's FSB detained Estonian citizen Artur Kirmjõe, a 30-year-old paramedic and former member of Estonia's elite Scout Battalion, in Vladimir in spring 2026, accusing him of trying to join Ukraine's armed forces. In a released video with his face hidden, the man says he sought help joining Ukrainian forces after developing opposition to the war.

Journalists identified the man through the Scout Battalion connection after the FSB muted the audio during his name and birth date. Kirmjõe had been traveling to Russia to see his wife, whom Estonia denied asylum in 2022; the couple married in 2024 while waiting out a three-year entry ban before he was detained days after his mid-April 2026 return.

He now faces mercenary activity and crime-preparation charges, with the mercenary count carrying seven to 15 years in prison.

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