“The Second World War had a tragic impact to our nation, where Estonia lost one fourth of its entire population,” Chaplain Second Lieutenant Peeter Paenurm said. “We say a prayer and pay our respects for all those soldiers who fought in Sinimäe battle and for the civilians who either lost their lives or suffered,” he added.
The battle of Sinimäe took place between the Soviet Red Army and German Wehrmacht from July 25 to August 12 1944. It is considered to be the fiercest military confrontation ever on Estonian soil. It is estimated that over 2 500 Estonian citizens, including civilians living in the area, lost their lives in the battle. The exact numbers of the fallen are not known.
Estonia was not involved in WWII as a sovereign state. Both Germany and Soviet Union conducted a mobilization mandatory for the citizens of Estonia to join the armed forces of either the Red Army or Wehrmacht. Both mobilizations disregarded the international laws and customs observed at that time.