International armed conflicts

Signs of danger

• You hear or see an official warning about an armed conflict that has begun.
• You hear or see battle, armed attack, shooting, or explosions.
• You see enemy fighters.

How to act in an armed conflict area where no direct fighting is taking place

• Regularly monitor the news from reliable information channels (above all public broadcasting, which in Estonia is the ERR). Double-check information from unknown sources.
• Be prepared for the disruption of multiple services, such as electricity, water, data communication, etc. Check whether you have the supplies and tools necessary to manage on your own at your home. If not, obtain them (see the chapter “Self-sufficient managing in case of an interruption in vital services” and “Home stocks and aids”). Find out where the nearest places are where you can you get help during the crisis: hospitals, evacuation sites, shelters, places where essential resources are distributed, etc.
• Comply with the orders of the authorities (such as the police, rescuers, servicemen) and the guidelines of the allied forces supporting them. Depending on the threat, orders for evacuation or seeking shelter may be given to protect the population. Additionally, movement restrictions may be applied.
• Prepare for evacuation (see the chapter “Evacuation”):
  • find a place away from the danger zone and preferably outside the city where you can go if necessary;
  • pack your essential items (including documents, valuables);
  • if you cannot find a suitable place for evacuation yourself, find out where the official evacuation places are.
• When you move around, always carry your identity documents and copies of them with you.
• If possible, only move when it is light outside.
• Do not leave children unattended.
• Help those in need, including the sick and the elderly.
• Avoid contact with enemy soldiers and do not put your life at risk with provocative behaviour (for example, public filming or taking photos, aiming with a weapon-like object, displaying public resistance).
• Do not touch abandoned weapons or munitions or any other unidentified object, as they may be masked explosive devices or otherwise dangerous.
• Avoid places that may be mined, such as abandoned buildings and bridges. If possible, move on undamaged hard-paved roads, which are more difficult to mine unnoticed.

WORTH KNOWING

• If you have a personal weapon for self-defence, remember that even during armed conflict, you are allowed to use it only to protect yourself, your family, and your home. Using it for other purposes may make you a target or a criminal.
• Do not wear clothes with camouflage patterns, disguise clothes, or keep guns in places where people can see them, because you might be considered a soldier.
• Do not distribute information (such as photographs, videos, texts) on the activities and location of Estonian and allied soldiers. This information may be used by enemy intelligence units, which puts the Estonian defenders at risk. However, share information with Estonian and allied soldiers when the soldiers ask you for it.

How to act in an armed conflict area during fighting

• Take cover and hide when there is gunfire.
• If you are outside when you hear shooting, do not run, but immediately drop to the ground and cover your head and neck with your hands. Keep yourself as close to the ground as possible and stay in that position until the shooting stops.
• When the shooting stops, go indoors as soon as possible (see the chapter “Hiding indoors”) or another place that offers shelter, such as a ditch.
• If you notice soldiers, do not approach them, as you may become a target or be hit with a stray bullet.
• If you reach a checkpoint or come in contact with a patrol, stay calm, obey their orders, and be ready to identify yourself.
• If you are indoors when you hear shooting, avoid the windows, turn off the lights, and hide in a room without windows, such as a bathroom or the hallway.
• Do not touch any unidentified object – they may be masked explosive devices or otherwise dangerous.
• If you have been evacuated and your place of residence is located in the danger zone or is in the hands of enemy forces, do not try to return home.

Occupation means that a country or part of it has been captured by the armed forces of another country. During occupation, the territory of the state is under the control of the enemy and its representatives try to establish themselves as the official power, trying to win the support and trust of the local population, and keep them in a blackout at the same time. Occupation is usually accompanied by intense propaganda, provocation to treachery and violence towards compatriots, extensive repression of the civilian population, and increase in crime.

WORTH KNOWING

To maintain national sovereignty and its continuity, the goal of Estonian security policy is to prevent and pre-empt threats, as well as counter them quickly and flexibly, should the need arise. Estonia will defend itself in any case, no matter how overwhelming the opponent might be. If the state temporarily loses control over a part of its territory, Estonian citizens will engage in organised resistance in that area. This principle has also been written into the National Security Concept of Estonia.

• Be ready to cope on your own for a longer period of time in the event of interruptions in vital services or reduced availability of goods. If possible, stock up on water, food, and other necessary items. (See the chapter “Self-sufficient managing in case of an interruption in vital services” and “Home stocks and aids”).
• Find out which places offer help: hospital, ambulance, rescue service, etc.
• Collaborate with other people in the same area to cope better together. Help those in need; do not leave them alone.
• If you have to move around, do so on foot or by bike, and, if possible, only when it is light.
• Avoid places and tell others to avoid places that may be mined, such as abandoned buildings and bridges.
• Do not touch abandoned weapons or munitions or any other unidentified object, as they may be masked explosive devices or otherwise dangerous.
• Avoid contact with soldiers of the occupation forces and do not put your life at risk with provocative behaviour (for example, public filming or taking photos, aiming with a weapon-like object, showing public resistance).
• By protecting yourself, do not cause harm to other people suffering from the occupation forces.
• Do not trust the information from the occupying state that you see in the media.
• When family members are separated from each other during an armed conflict, inform humanitarian organisations (such as the Red Cross) who help people find information and reunite families.
• Be ready for the combat to continue and protect yourself and your loved ones.

WORTH KNOWING

It is possible to contribute to the end of the occupation without violence if you resist the enemy representatives by following these recommendations:

• Do not cooperate with the occupation forces: do not share information with them, do not take part in public meetings or events, do not allow yourself to be used as additional labour in the construction of defence facilities, etc.
• Follow the laws of the Republic of Estonia, not the rules established by the occupation power. Act on the basis of common human values and practices.
• Do not let yourself be provoked to violence.
• If you see violations of human rights and constitutional values, help bring them to an end. If this is possible without endangering yourself and others, capture the violations secretly and share the evidence with the Estonian and international community.
• Help victims of violence.
• Do not give interviews to representatives of the occupation power. Do not allow yourself to be filmed or taken photos of.
• Collaborate with other community members and contribute to the continuation of civic initiatives.

People are not left alone in the occupied territory; the Republic of Estonia and international humanitarian organizations will help them to cope in different ways.

• Humanitarian law obliges the occupying country to provide the population with food, medicines, and essential clothing, bedding, shelter, and other means.
• A number of international humanitarian organisations will try to provide assistance in the crisis areas. The occupying state has a duty to facilitate the delivery of aid packages.
• The emblems of international humanitarian organizations:
  

• The Red Cross and Red Crescent

  

  The United Nations

• In order to survive during the occupation period, it is important to know the previous experiences of freedom-fighting and gaining independence and, if necessary, to use them.