The Russian hybrid operation in Estonia was a Russian-directed influence operation in Estonia that involved a series of attacks on the Estonian government and attempts to foment civil unrest among the Russian-speaking population.
The Russian government had previously carried out a massive hybrid attack on Estonia in 2007, including cyberattacks and organized civil unrest, just three years after Estonia joined NATO. The Russian FSB and SVR issued instructions to 10 Russian and Estonian nationals to sow fear and create tension in Estonian society, having gathered information needed to make attacks before having their cell carry them out. Several cell members already had criminal records, while many were approached through social media. The Russian spies vandalized the cars of the Estonian interior minister Lauri Laanemets and several monuments, but there was no wide support for the Russians' divisive activities, and the cell members were arrested in Estonia between December and February. On 20 February 2024, President Kaja Kallas announced that Estonia had thwarted the Russian-directed operation on its territory, raising awareness so that Russia's operations would not have the effect it was hoping for.