Tallinn Hospital would be a strategic target for Russia.
Gone is the time when attacking civilian objects bearing the red cross was taboo and reprehensible. The experience of Ukraine shows that living next door to a neighbour like Russia also means that when planning hospitals, you have to think about the protection of civilian infrastructure. The planned Tallinn hospital is no exception.
In short: after 24 February, it is inconceivable that we put all the eggs in one basket and put them on top of the potential front line – in the defence of Suur-Tallinn, the key urban battles would take place in the area of this planned colossus in Lasnamäe. Such things need to be talked about in peacetime, even despite the fact that NATO is increasingly focusing its capabilities and deterrence forces on our region. This is, of course, essential, but planning strategic civilian infrastructure is our own business, and if we fail, we will have very difficult problems in the event of a military crisis.
From the point of view of broad-based national defence, the question of the fate of the Tallinn Hospital in the event of a Russian attack will inevitably arise. We know that in Ukraine the attack on hospitals and other civilian objects (e.g. kindergartens, shopping centres, public transport hubs, etc.) is a planned and strategic objective of the aggressor. Still in order to terrorize and break the will and capabilities of the defense. There is no reason to think that Tallinn would do otherwise. On the contrary, what is happening in Ukraine is likely to be a strategy that a hostile neighbour would use to open up the possibility to other neighbours.
Read more here: https://opinion.postimees.ee/7556997/hannes-nagel-tallinn-haigla-oleks-venemaa-strategic-targetmark The article was published on 4 July 2022 on Postimees’ paper (No 126, p. 10).
Photo: illustration, ATI project, Ministry of Social Affairs 2022
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