President: Siil military exercise shows that Estonia is protected

TALLINN – According to President Kersti Kaljulaid who visited the Siil (Hedgehog) large-scale military training exercise on Saturday, the exercise assured her that Estonia is protected.

"I saw professional active service personnel, motivated reservists, skilled conscripts and allied forces at Siil -- and I was once again assured that Estonia is protected," Kaljulaid said on social media. "I thank all the 15,000+ participants for defending Estonia. And a big thank you also to the next of kin and employers who are understanding about the absence of reservists and members of the Defense League," she added.

"When we are like the Hedgehog, then nobody can easily harm us -- the attacker will get very hurt and nothing in their mouth," the head of state said.

The Siil exercise kicked off on May 2 and will last until May 14. More than 15,000 uniformed people from 15 countries are taking part in the exercise, therefore this year's Siil is the largest military exercise since Estonia restored its independence in 1991.