Estonian parlt committee calls for resolute steps to protect underwater infrastructure

2024-12-28
BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN – The national defense committee of the Estonian parliament issued a statement on Friday, calling for immediate, decisive action, together with allies, to protect the underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

The committee says a pattern of physical hybrid attacks against the Baltic Sea underwater infrastructure has emerged, posing a threat to NATO and the European Union. The committee stated that this is deliberate, recurring, and intentional action.

"We need to take immediate and strong action together with our allies, whom we propose to put on 24-hour guard in the Baltic Sea, especially in areas where critical underwater infrastructure is located. We will not tolerate any damaging of underwater infrastructure with impunity," the statement says.

The committee says that similar to the NATO Baltic air policing mission, the standing naval force in the Baltic Sea, one of the essential tasks of which is to protect underwater infrastructure, must be more effectively enforced.

"Estonia's decision to send a naval patrol vessel to protect the operational power connection, Estlink 1, in addition to Finland's commendable prompt and effective response, is a step in the right direction, but allied efforts must be much more extensive," the standing committee said.

It said this would both increase deterrence and improve rapid response capabilities.

"No vessel suspected of maritime infrastructure terrorism should be allowed to escape before the completion of post-crime proceedings," the statement says.

The committee added that the Baltic Sea is primarily a domain of NATO and EU member states.

"International law is on our side, and we have sufficient capabilities for self-defense," the committee said.

At the committee's emergency sitting, an overview of Russia's hybrid attacks was provided by Kaimo Kuusk, the secretary general of the Defense Ministry, and Erkki Tori, the director of security and defense coordination at the Government Office.