Amid escalating concerns about the prospect of World War 3, three NATO countries are set to construct bunkers along their borders with Russia.

As fears of potential conflict with Vladimir Putin grow, European nations are being urged to bolster their weapons stocks to “war-time levels.”

In response to the ongoing conflict resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the defense ministers of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have joined forces to avert a similar fate for their countries.

This coalition of Baltic nations plans to establish an “extensive network of fortifications” along their borders with Russia, aiming to discourage any potential invasion by Putin.

The projected cost for this initiative is estimated at €60 million (£51.2 million), the U.S. Sun reported.

Estonia will initiate the construction, focusing on building approximately 600 bunkers strategically placed around border crossing points such as Narva in the north and Voru in the south, according to reports from Newsweek.

Susan Lilleväli, representing the Estonian Defence Ministry, emphasized that the primary objective is to ensure preparedness “to fight the enemy from the first meter and first hour.”

Drawing lessons from the difficulties faced in reclaiming conquered territories in Ukraine, Lilleväli highlighted the substantial human, temporal, and material costs involved.

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have long been identified as potential targets for Russian aggression within NATO.

While Ukraine has withstood Moscow’s onslaught for years, there is a concern that the smaller Baltic states could be overrun within a matter of days if targeted by Putin.

Written by B.C. Begley