As tensions spread in Ukraine’s six-month war, Tallinn has rejected claims about the whereabouts of the woman the Kremlin has accused of killing the daughter of a prominent supporter of President Vladimir Putin. Speaking on television on Tuesday, Urmas Reinsalu, Estonia’s foreign minister, said: “We see this as an example of a provocation in a very long series of provocations by the Russian Federation and we have nothing more to say about it at this time.” Russia’s FSB security services claimed that Natalya Vovk, a 43-year-old Ukrainian, was responsible for the murder of Daria Dugina, the daughter of far-right ideologue Alexander Dugin. Vovk then allegedly fled to Estonia, prompting Russian nationalists to demand tough action against the Baltic country that has been one of Ukraine’s biggest backers. Estonian police said on Monday that Russia had made no formal requests for Vovk. Indrek Kannik, head of the state-backed think-tank Center for International Defense and Security, said the car bomb attack could have been a “false flag” operation by Russia. “It is possible that this was the operation of the FSB itself, since these people had become a threat. At the same time, it is convenient for the Ukrainians to blame it. Now we see that Estonia can also be dragged into it,” he told Estonian TV. Estonia suffered its biggest cyber attack in 15 years last week after a Soviet-era tank monument was removed from the eastern city of Narva, near the border with Russia. The attack had no visible impact on the Baltic country known for its digital infrastructure. In 2007 it was hit by a crippling cyber attack that Estonian officials said came from Russia after a bronze monument to a Soviet Red Army soldier was removed in the capital Tallinn. Reinsalu said last week’s attack was part of a pattern of pressure from Moscow on Tallinn for its support for Ukraine, as Estonia has given more aid per capita to Kyiv than any other country. “Why did Estonia experience the biggest cyber attacks since the night of the Bronze Soldier? Why did the former president of Russia say two weeks ago that it was their failure that Estonia is still a free country?” he told Estonian public broadcaster ETV.

Estonia has led calls for increased sanctions against Russia, pushing for a ban on Russian gas inside the EU and Russian tourists in Europe. It stopped Russians from entering the country with an Estonian visa, although Russians can use visas issued by other EU member states. Tallinn has also provided substantial military support to Ukraine, more than some larger EU countries, despite Estonia having a population of only 1.3 million. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told the country’s media on Tuesday that the ruling three-party coalition had failed to reach an agreement on a proposal to prevent Russian citizens from voting in local elections. The move would be controversial as Russian citizens form the majority in areas of eastern Estonia. The government is already planning to make Estonian the only language used in schools and kindergartens. Estonia was forcibly annexed by the Soviet Union during the second world war and regained its independence in 1991. Tens of thousands of Estonians were deported to Siberia during the Soviet era, while Russians moved into Estonia, leading to large numbers of Russian speakers in areas around Russian border and in the capital of Tallinn.