Ukraine Crisis: Estonia Intelligence Officer Kidnapped at Gunpoint and Taken to Russia

An Estonian intelligence officer has been kidnapped at gunpoint and taken into Russia, according to local Estonian reports.

Estonian intelligence confirmed that the incident occurred at the Luhamaa border checkpoint while the officer was investigating an incident of cross border crime, according to The Baltic Times.

"Unidentified persons coming from Russia took the freedom of an officer of Estonian Scurity police officer on the territory of Estonia," Estonia's state prosecutor's office announced. "The officer was taken to Russia using physical force and at gunpoint."

In retaliation, Estonia's Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian Ambassador to Estonia, Juri Merzljakov, in relation to the incident.

Estonia's interior ministry said that it was closely following events. The Interior Minister, Hanno Pevkur, said: "We are working to get the officer back to Estonia. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable."

Neighbouring Latvia's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics condemned the kidnap, saying: "Abduction of Estonian policeman at EE-RU border is very serious issue, Latvia stands united with Estonia, he must be released immediately."

Early this week at the Nato Summit in Wales, the Estonian Minister for Foreign Affairs opened the door further to the creation of a Nato army base on Estonian territory, as it seeks to boost security in the face of Russian expansionism.

In an interview with IBTimes UK at the Celtic Manor, Newport on the side-lines of the Summit, Urmas Paet said that recent moves to strengthen Nato's presence in Estonia should be developed further still and that he hoped that this would be one of the outcomes of the summit.

The kidnap threatens to further escalate tensions between Russian and Nato as Estonia is itself a member of the military alliance. It became a member in 2004 and, currently, there are 150 US soldiers based in the Baltic state.

Before the Nato Summit in Wales, President Obama travelled to Estonia to assure the Baltic members of the alliance of their security in the face of Russian expansionism and interference in the former Soviet space.

In a speech in the Estonian capital of Tallinn, Obama said: "Our Nato alliance is not aimed against any other nation. We're an alliance of democracies dedicated to our own collective defense.

"Countries like Estonia and Latvia and Lithuania are not post-Soviet territory. You're sovereign and independent nations with a right to make your own decisions. No other nation gets to veto your security decisions."

"We'll be here for Estonia. We will be here for Latvia. We will be here for Lithuania. You lost your independence once before. With NATO, you will never lose it again."

Nato's raison d'etre is to protect all members of the military alliance. Article 5 of the alliance's founding Washington Treaty states that an attack on one member of the organisation is an attack on all members.

This article has only been invoked once in Nato's history, the day after the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States.

It remains unclear whether the kidnapping was carried out with the knowledge or involvement of the Russian government.