Estonia, Finland eye Russian Fleet restriction in Baltic Sea

Estonia and Finland are ramping up their maritime defence cooperation with a focus on restricting Russian naval movements in the Baltic Sea.

Estonian Defence Forces Commander Andrus Merilo emphasized the need for concrete strategies to potentially block Russian fleet activities, Caliber.Az reports via Finnish media.

He expressed optimism that collaborative efforts between Estonia and Finland will lead to effective plans to curtail "enemy activities" in the region, if necessary, even through military means.

Merilo noted that closing the Gulf of Finland would depend on the prevailing security situation, affirming readiness to take action to safeguard national interests.

In May, former Estonian Defence Forces Chief Martin Herem proposed discussing a potential Baltic Sea blockade with Poland, Sweden, and Finland to bolster defences amid Russia's military build-up. Additionally, in autumn 2023, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics suggested closing the Baltic Sea to Russian vessels following damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline.

On September 18, Merilo is set to meet with Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen and Defence Forces Commander-in-Chief Janne Jaakkola during his visit to Helsinki.

by Tamilla Hasanova