Estonia launches naval operation to protect Baltic Sea power cable

Estonia’s armed forces have initiated a naval operation to safeguard the Estlink 1 undersea power cable in the Baltic Sea, following a recent security threat. 

This action was confirmed by Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The operation comes after Finland detained a vessel onDecember 26, suspecting it of causing an outage of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable, which connects Finland and Estonia. The ship is also believed to have damaged or severed four internet cables. In response to this incident, Tsahkna emphasized on social media that Estonia would take action if critical infrastructure in the region was threatened.

The Estonian Defense Forces launched the operation, with the Navy patrol vessel Raju dispatched to secure the Estlink 1 cable. Estonia has also requested assistance from NATO allies, hoping that other nations’ ships will help protect vital maritime infrastructure.

Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur explained that the decision to initiate the operation was made the previous evening, and that the Raju had already set sail to protect the Estlink 1 cable. 

In a bid to further bolster security, Pevkur reached out to Finland’s defense minister after the Estonian government meeting and proposed joint protection of the Estlink 1 cable. He also suggested that NATO engage at a military level, with the potential involvement of forces from Sweden, Germany, Poland, or other allies. Pevkur noted that bilateral arrangements could lead to quicker solutions than waiting for NATO as a whole to act. The commander of the Estonian Defense Forces was expected to contact the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) for further coordination.

Regarding the damaged Estlink 2 cable, Pevkur indicated that the timeline for repairs is being impacted by the availability of a repair ship. He emphasized that the priority was to maintain the functionality of Estlink 1 with the support of allied forces.

Reigo Kebja, a member of the management board at Elering, assured the public that there are no concerns regarding Estonia’s energy supply. He confirmed that Estonia could continue to maintain secure energy access, even if both the Estlink 1 and Estlink 2 cables were to be rendered inoperable.

By Vafa Guliyeva