A 900-metre stretch of road (on the Värska-Ulitina road) runs through the Saatse Boot – from Estonia to Estonia, but traffic has to cross through the territory of the Russian Federation twice.
Based on the agreement between Estonian and Russian border representatives, until the closure, the section of road could only be taken by buses or other vehicles, but not on foot.
As of 10 October, the road section is closed to prevent possible incidents and provocations.
- Traffic is diverted via Värska, Treski, Matsuri, and Sesniki.
- The detour via national roads has extended the journey from Saatse to Värska by 21 km, and the journey from Saatse to Tartu by 15 km.
- Until a permanent solution is found, the Transport Administration will adapt a section of road around the small Saatse Boot to make it suitable for temporary traffic. This will solve the problem of accessing the village of Lutepää.
- In addition to the longer route, it is also possible to use the RMK’s forest road to bypass the main Saatse Boot, which extends the detour by 4 kilometres. In the coming days, the RMK will begin to widen forest roads intended for temporary use.
- A total of 191 residents live in the villages that use the Saatse road section to reach Värska.
- Six county bus routes also pass through Saatse. Public transport between Saatse and Värska has been temporarily rerouted, leaving the villages of Lutepää and Sesniki without service. The rural municipality has promised to arrange the necessary additional transport.
Please note!
The overall threat level on the Estonian-Russian border has not increased.
According to the Police and Border Guard Board, crossing the Saatse Boot is risky even when the road is open – it is Russian Federation territory and the behaviour of the Russian authorities is unpredictable. For example, if Russian authorities stop an Estonian driver on this stretch of road, Estonian authorities cannot go there to help.
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Last updated: 16.10.2025
