Estonia's military authorized to use force in response to threats in the Baltic Sea

The Estonian military has authorized its Navy to deploy force in the Baltic Sea in case of threats, including actions in the economic zone. This was stated by the Minister of Defense of Estonia, Hanno Pevkur, as reported by NewsBox.

The Minister of Defense of Estonia, Hanno Pevkur announced that the country’s military fleet will have the right to use force in response to threats in the Baltic Sea, including actions in Estonia's economic zone.

It is about the ability of the military fleet to respond to threats and when necessary to take action in the entirety of Estonia’s maritime territory, including its economic zone, "emphasized Pevkur, as cited by "Interfax."

To implement this decision, the Ministry of Defense of Estonia has developed amendments to the laws on "Organization of Defense Forces" and "On the Economic Zone."

These amendments are planned to be submitted for consideration in the parliament. The new procedure stipulates that in cases of suspected threats, military representatives must first communicate with the ship’s captain, propose to change course, and request to depart. The use of force will only be possible after the minister of defense provides approval.

This measure is a response to recent incidents involving the severing of underwater cables in the Baltic Sea, connecting Estonia and Finland.

In December, Finnish authorities detained the tanker Eagle S, which had traveled from St. Petersburg, as it was suspected of being involved in one of those incidents. In the European Union, similar actions are believed to be organized by vessels of the Russian "shadow" fleet.

Following these events, NATO announced its intention to strengthen its military presence in the Baltic Sea. According to Finnish media agency Yle, the alliance plans to deploy around ten ships to safeguard key underwater communication networks in the region.