Estonia authorises military to strike civilian vessels in maritime threat cases

Estonian President Alar Karis has approved amendments to the laws on the organization of the Defence Forces and the economic zone, which grant the military the right to attack civilian vessels if their actions are seen as a threat to important objects of the Baltic republic.

The adopted amendments grant the Estonian Defence Forces the right to use force in the country's maritime zone in the event of threats against critical infrastructure, defence facilities, ports and other structures, Caliber.Az reports, citing Estonian media outlets.

This decision follows incidents involving damage to undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, such as the December 2024 disruption of the EstLink 2 cable between Estonia and Finland, which was suspected to be caused by a foreign vessel

Under the proposed legal amendments, Estonian naval forces are required to first attempt communication with any suspicious vessel, requesting a course change or docking. If the vessel does not comply and is deemed a threat, the use of force may be authorized by the Minister of Defense .​

Earlier, this law was adopted by members of the Riigikogu (parliament). Aide to the President of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Maritime Board Nikolai Patrushev called the Estonian law disgusting and pointed out the need to find a way to counter this initiative.

By Khagan Isayev