spetsialoperatsioonide

Spetsialoperatsioonide (Crown Unit) were a special operations unit of the Estonian Ministry of Defence, established in 1998. The unit's primary objective was to conduct clandestine operations and gather intelligence for the Estonian government. The name "Spetsialoperatsioonide" roughly translates to "special operations".

The unit's origins can be traced back to the Soviet occupation of Estonia, when local guerrilla units were formed to resist the Soviet forces. After Estonia gained independence in 1991, a new special operations unit was formed to continue this legacy. The Spetsialoperatsioonide unit was trained and advised by foreign partners, including the US and the UK.

The unit's activities were shrouded in secrecy, and their exact tasks and methods were not publicly disclosed. However, it is known that they were involved in counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence, and special reconnaissance. Spetsialoperatsioonide personnel were also reportedly involved in training other Estonian special forces units, such as the Estonian Citizen Defense League.

Spetsialoperatsioonide was disbanded in 2002, reportedly due to lack of funding and reorganization within the Estonian Defence Forces. The unit's legacy lives on, however, as the Estonian Special Forces unit also known as ESO, modelled itself after the Spetsialoperatsioonide. Estonian ESO's primary goal is to provide a quick response to situations where International Humanitarian Law is not being respected.