Russia’s conflict with Estonia over the removal of a monument to the Red Army escalated yesterday after pro-Kremlin activists in Moscow tried to assault the Baltic republic’s ambassador.

The EU entered the confrontation, calling on Russia to uphold commitments to protect foreign diplomats. A mob also attacked a car carrying Sweden’s representative in Moscow as it left the Estonian Embassy.

Andrus Ansip, the Estonian Prime Minister, appealed to the EU for support, saying that his nation’s sovereignty was under “heavy” attack. President Ilves told Russia to “remain civilised”.

Russia blamed Estonia for tensions that followed the removal on Friday of the statue of the Bronze Soldier from the centre of Tallinn to a military cemetery.

In a development that echoed Moscow’s disputes with Ukraine and Belarus, the state-owned Russian Railways suddenly halted oil deliveries to Estonian ports. It claimed that it needed to carry out maintenance work and denied that it was imposing sanctions. Russia ships around 25 million tonnes of fuel oil, gas oil and petrol through Estonian ports.

Estonia evacuated family members of staff at its Moscow Embassy as activists from the Kremlin-backed youth organisation Nashi (Ours) maintained a siege of the building that began after the statue was moved.

The EU demanded an end to the blockade and said that it would send a diplomatic mission to Moscow to show solidarity with Estonia. A spokeswoman said: “We share the concerns about the increasing violence around the Estonian Embassy in Moscow.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Estonia of provoking the protests by moving the monument to the Soviet Union’s dead in the war against Nazi Germany.

The Foreign Ministry said that security would be tightened but added: “Passions have been brought to the boil. The blame for that rests entirely with the Estonian side.”

Bodyguards used gas sprays to protect the Estonian Ambassador, Marina Kaljurand, from about thirty Nashi activists who broke into a press conference shouting “Shame on Estonia” and “Fascism will not be allowed”.

“There was a fight between my guards and activists from the Nashi organisation and the guards had to use gas,” Ms Kaljurand said. The Estonian Foreign Ministry called on the international community to respond to the “absolutely unjustifiable” attack.

Nashi members also blocked a Swedish diplomatic vehicle as it left the Estonian Embassy. The Swedish Foreign Ministry said later that its ambassador, Johan Molander, had been trapped in the car for 15 minutes before police intervened “too late and in an insufficient manner”.

Mr Ansip’s party won parliamentary elections in March by promising swift removal of the monument, which many Estonians regard as a symbol of 50 years of Soviet occupation.

Times Recommends

• Would you live on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall?
• Wish you were here, says Iraq tourist board
• Russian policeman’s corruption plea to Putin