:format(webp)/nginx/o/2013/06/13/1827734t1hc32a.jpg)
:format(webp)/nginx/o/2025/05/27/16872737t1haafe.jpg)
State Prosecutor Triinu Olev-Aas revealed at the end of last week during court hearings in Harju County Court—specifically in sessions previously declared closed to the public—what was discussed in Aivo Peterson’s trial. It emerged, among other things, that according to the prosecution, the civil defense unit to be formed under the movement Koos (Together) was intended to serve as a replacement army in the event of a power vacuum.
New details from the prosecution became public because Judge Katrin Mikenberg allowed the parties to use information from the closed sessions during the court debates. Previously, the court had set a confidentiality period on the closed-session information until the verdict was announced, but the judge moved this deadline up to the conclusion of the judicial investigation. This meant that during Thursday and Friday«s debates, the parties were allowed to refer to evidence presented during the closed sessions.
According to the prosecutor, Peterson and Dmitri Rootsi, both accused of treason, worked in 2022 on creating a so-called «third line» alongside the political party Koos—namely, a civil defense unit—with Peterson being the main initiator. Based on the prosecution's evidence, these activities began no later than November 2022.
A parallel structure to the defense forces
According to Olev-Aas, the evidence shows that the planned unit was meant to become an alternative to Estonia»s existing defense and security structures. It was intended to involve individuals with firearm licenses and expand into all municipalities. A Telegram group called «Civil Defense» was created to discuss the formation of the unit. Members of the group included Peterson, Rootsi, and leading figures of Koos such as Eduard Fedotov and Julia Smoli.
«Peterson repeatedly stated in his conversations with Fedotov that the unit's task was to handle security, organize defense, and fulfill the role of the army in case of a power vacuum,» said Olev-Aas.
The prosecutor pointed out that Peterson has over ten years of work experience with the Police and Border Guard Board, so he should have a general understanding of national defense—including that national defense is legally the responsibility of state institutions. «According to the prosecution, this supports the conclusion that Peterson aimed to create a civil defense unit as a parallel structure to the official national defense organizations,» the prosecutor added.
Chats revealed that Fedotov actively worked on establishing the unit under Peterson's direction. For example, Fedotov asked Peterson whether he should talk to certain acquaintances, whom he referred to as former military personnel. He also sent Peterson a list of people who could be included in the unit—among them, former employees of security and defense institutions.
Approached Russian military intelligence
According to the prosecutor, chat messages show that with the full knowledge of Peterson and Rootsi, contact was made with individuals acting in the interests of the Russian Federation, including people associated with Russian military intelligence (GRU), in order to obtain guidance and assistance for establishing the unit. Both Peterson and Rootsi participated in the «Civil Defense» chat and continued posting messages even after the group discussed contacting a GRU operative.
«Therefore, the statements Peterson made during the trial claiming that no Russian individuals or organizations were approached for advice or guidance during the planning of the unit cannot be considered credible,» said the prosecutor.
The prosecutor stated that Peterson wanted to present his unit to the public as a charitable organization, but in reality, his goal was to create a network involving people from every village and apartment association. According to Olev-Aas, Peterson«s aim was to recruit people joining the unit into the Koos movement and political party. «Peterson repeatedly expressed that the unit would act as a so-called third line—a support base for the movement and the emerging party. He referred to himself as the head of the civil defense unit and emphasized the need for firm control over it,» the prosecutor explained.
A cover for real intentions
Peterson himself claimed during a court hearing in November last year that the goal of the civil defense unit was to protect the population and provide charitable aid in emergencies. According to the prosecutor, this was merely a cover to hide his true intentions. Olev-Aas also questioned Peterson»s claim that the creation of the unit was a public endeavor, arguing that discussions were held only in a closed circle and the information was not shared with all Koos members.
The prosecutor referred to an expert who testified during a closed session of the trial. The expert stated that similar paramilitary units have been used by Russia to destabilize societies—for example, in Ukraine in 2014, where such units participated in the takeover of government buildings. These units blended in with Russian soldiers, making them difficult to distinguish. Using such units also enables the international community to be misled into thinking that these are merely local uprisings.
The expert added that even the mere perception of such an organization existing within society can be dangerous, even if it does not exist in reality. He pointed to a miscalculation during the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when the Russian leadership believed that there was sufficient support for Russia in Ukraine through such units.