Military conflict

Behaviour in areas where no immediate fighting is taking place

Fighting can break out suddenly. It is important to recognise signs that may indicate danger.
Knowing what to look for will help you react faster and better protect yourself and your loved ones.

Signs indicating possible military activity nearby:

• Official warnings broadcast on radio, television or other official information channels. Keep updated via official crisis information sources.
• Sounds of gunfire, explosions, or sightings of drones, rockets or other flying objects.
• The appearance of enemy soldiers or military vehicles in the streets.
• Provocative actions by individuals that might cause unrest, such as provocateurs in public spaces.

If you observe signs of danger, remain calm and follow the authorities’ instructions:

• Follow updates from trusted sources (e.g., ERR, BBC). Verify any information from unknown sources.
• Be prepared for interruptions to essential services (such as electricity, water, and data communications).
• Obey the instructions of the authorities (police, rescue services, defence forces) and allied forces. Be ready for evacuation orders, instructions to shelter, or movement restrictions.
• Always carry identification and a copy of it with you.
• Move around only during day-time, if possible, and wear civilian clothing.
• Do not leave children unsupervised.
• Assist vulnerable individuals (the elderly, the sick, and people with disabilities).
• Do not provoke enemy soldiers — for example, by filming or photographing them, or pointing objects that might be mistaken for weapons.
• Do not touch abandoned weapons, ammunition, or unidentified objects — they could be explosive devices. Report findings immediately to 112.
• Avoid potentially mined areas, such as abandoned buildings or roadside verges.
• Do not share information, photos or videos about the effects of attacks or the movements and positions of Estonian or allied troops — such information can be used for enemy intelligence purposes.

How to behave in active combat areas?

In areas of direct fighting, situations can change rapidly. It is vital to remain calm, assess the situation rationally, and act according to the circumstances.

• Take cover and conceal yourself immediately if you hear gunfire.
• If you are outside when shooting starts, lie flat on the ground, cover your head and neck with hands, and stay in that position until the firing ceases.
• If indoors, stay away from windows, turn off lights, and shelter in a windowless room if possible.
• If possible, reinforce windows with sandbags, heavy-duty tape, or shutters to prevent glass injuries.
• Once firing stops, seek a safer shelter as soon as possible (e.g., a building, ditch, or behind concrete structures).
• Do not approach soldiers — you could be mistaken for a threat.
• If you encounter a checkpoint or patrol, stay calm, comply with instructions, and be prepared to identify yourself. Approach the checkpoint slowly, keeping your hands visible.
• Do not touch any unknown objects — they could be booby-trapped or otherwise dangerous.
• If you have evacuated your home and it is now in a combat or enemy-controlled area, do not attempt to return.
• Stay informed via battery-powered radios or car radios. To avoid network congestion, limit phone calls and prefer SMS messages. If mobile service is disrupted, find guidelines for contacting emergency services at 112.

How to behave during an air raid or artillery attack?

Air raids or shelling may be indicated by:

• Sirens, EE-ALARM messages, or other official warnings.
• Sightings of military aircraft, helicopters, drones, or missiles.
• The sounds of explosions or related shaking.

How to prepare for an air raid?

• Comply with official instructions. Depending on the threat, orders may include evacuation, sheltering, or movement restrictions.
• If evacuation is ordered, act immediately. Leave the danger zone independently, using only recommended routes. Take food supplies, essential prescription medicines, identity documents, cash, bank cards, and a mobile phone with a charger.
• Plan a shelter option. Ideally, find the nearest windowless room. Underground shelters (e.g., cellars with reinforced walls) are ideal during wartime. If time is limited, use whatever shelter is available. If you have the time, materials, and skills, reinforce ceilings with wooden beams and cover windows with sandbags or other heavy coverings.
• Prepare the following items: clothing, documents, a torch or other light source, food, drinking water, medicines, a power bank, a whistle, etc.
• Cover windows. If possible, reinforce from the outside using a protective layer (e.g., approximately 50 cm of sandbags or at least 26 mm of steel shielding). Otherwise, tape windows securely with strong water-resistant tape or use a blast curtain made from durable material.

What to do when you hear sirens or receive an air raid warning?

• Pull curtains closed, switch off electricity, and extinguish fires in stoves/fireplaces. Shut off gas and water supplies.
• Take shelter immediately in the nearest safe location. Sit on the floor and stay close to load-bearing walls. Keep away from windows. If possible, alert your neighbours and family members.
• If outside, take cover in ditches, trenches, or behind concrete structures. If immediate danger is present, drop to the ground straight away, covering your head and neck, and tuck in your heels to reduce exposure to shrapnel.
• If the building you are in is hit, catches fire, or becomes structurally unsafe, leave immediately and seek a safer shelter.
• If travelling by car on roads, try to move into woodlands or off-road areas where it is safer. In cities, pull off the road and find shelter inside a building. Never block roads — ambulances and rescue services must be able to move. Public transport vehicles will stop at the nearest stop and passengers will be asked to seek shelter.

What to do if you are trapped under rubble

• Stay calm and move carefully to avoid shifting unstable material.
• Free your limbs cautiously. If injured, stop any bleeding by applying pressure. Cover your mouth and nose with fabric to protect against dust inhalation.
• If possible, search for an exit, but do not attempt to shift large wreckage alone. Look for doorways or structural pillars for safer spaces.
• If possible, signal for help by shouting or blowing a whistle — particularly once fighting has ceased.
• Keep moving your fingers and toes to maintain blood circulation if trapped.
• Drink water and eat food if available. Keep yourself as warm as possible by curling into a ball.
• Maintain a positive mindset by thinking of your loved ones. Rescue may take time — do not lose hope.

How to behave in occupied areas?

Occupation means the territory is under the control of hostile military forces. Occupiers often attempt to enforce their authority through propaganda, intimidation, recruitment of collaborators, suppression of rights, and increased crime.

• Do not trust media controlled by the occupying forces.
• Be prepared to survive for extended periods without essential services or goods. Stockpile water, food, and other necessities wherever possible.
• Identify locations where emergency aid (hospitals, medical care, rescue services) is still available.
• Cooperate with your local community to improve chances of survival. Assist those in need.
• Travel only on foot or by bicycle whenever possible, and only during daylight hours. Wear civilian clothing.
• Stay away from abandoned or damaged areas (e.g. deserted buildings, bridges), which may have been mined.
• Do not touch abandoned weapons, ammunition or unknown objects, as they could be explosive devices.
• Avoid direct contact with occupying troops. Do not endanger yourself by filming or photographing them, or by provocative actions.
• If family members are separated during the conflict, inform humanitarian organisations, which can assist with information sharing and reunification efforts.
• Be prepared for fighting to resume and take necessary precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Resisting occupation

• Avoid any collaboration with the occupiers: do not share information, attend public meetings, or events they organise. Do not give interviews or allow yourself to be filmed or photographed.
• Conduct yourself according to universal human values and principles. Do not be provoked into acts of violence.
• When witnessing violations of human rights or constitutional values, assist efforts to document them covertly where possible, and share evidence with trusted national or international organisations.
• Help victims of violence where it is safe to do so.
• Support local resistance activities and participate where possible.

Use of weapons during wartime

• If you own a legally acquired personal weapon for self-defence purposes, remember: even during armed conflict, it may only be used for protecting yourself, your family, and your home. Using a weapon for other purposes may make you a military target or a criminal suspect.
• Do not wear camouflaged or military-style clothing and do not carry weapons openly — this could lead you to be mistaken for a soldier.