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Estonia Mulls Law Allowing Military to Sink Suspicious Ships Threatening Undersea Infrastructure

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Vlad Litnarovych
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Estonia Mulls Law Allowing Military to Sink Suspicious Ships Threatening Undersea Infrastructure
The Estonian Navy ships Wambola (433) and Ugandi (315). (Source: Estonian Defense Forces)

Estonia’s parliament is preparing legislation that would authorize the country’s Defense Forces to use military force against commercial vessels suspected of attempting to damage undersea cables or other critical infrastructure, Estonian media outlet ERR reported on April 7.

According to the report, in extreme cases, the military would have the right to sink a suspicious vessel if it refuses to comply with orders.

“If we’re using armed forces in international waters and thereby infringing on the freedom of navigation, everything must be meticulously thought through. If the Navy and the Defense Forces are going to act under this law, they need both a diplomatic rationale and the proper tools — meaning ships, weapons, and legislative as well as diplomatic backing,” said former Navy Commander Jüri Saska, commenting on the initiative.

He emphasized that the right to sink a vessel would be a last resort, used only if there is a genuine threat to many lives or to prevent a large-scale catastrophe.

Even in such cases, he noted, the entire crew of the vessel must be evacuated before any attempt to sink it.

“I honestly don’t even know how to comment on this. If I were a ship’s commander, how exactly am I supposed to sink a vessel whose crew has already evacuated? After all, once the crew is gone, it no longer poses a threat — not to critical infrastructure or anything else. Sinking it under those circumstances could create a serious environmental hazard. The whole thing seems rather convoluted,” Saska added.

Earlier, the undersea optical fiber cable operated by the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (LVRTC) was damaged in the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Sweden. The incident, likely caused by external factors, has prompted an ongoing investigation involving both Latvian authorities and NATO allies, including Sweden.

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