"We decided yesterday evening (Thursday – ed.) with the commander of the Defense Forces to launch a naval operation early this morning, during which the Estonian Navy's vessel Raju has already set sail to protect EstLink 1 as of this time (the interview aired at 8:15 a.m. – ed.)," Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform) said on Friday during the "Vikerhommik" radio show. "This is to ensure that nothing happens there and that our critical connection with Finland remains operational."

The Defense Forces has also deployed the naval vessel Kindral Kurvits, which set out in the morning with the Navy's diver group to investigate one of the damaged communication cables.

According to Pevkur, he immediately contacted Finland's defense minister after yesterday's Estonian government session and proposed that Estonia and Finland jointly secure EstLink 1.

"Not just with Finland, but with all of our allies, really. The Finns are discussing this today, and I believe they will join us. Additionally, we agreed yesterday that NATO will be consulted on a military level. The commander of the Defense Forces will call the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) today."

Pevkur noted that further developments are a military and tactical matter, and it may not even be necessary to discuss whether this involves Article 4 consultations or the conclusion of bilateral agreements.

"For us, speed is crucial. If SACEUR and the commander of the Defense Forces reach an agreement, a solution could be, for example, the deployment of Swedish forces here. Or it could be Germany, Poland or anyone else. Through bilateral relations, we can find quicker solutions than waiting for NATO as a whole."

At the same time, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe also has the authority to independently deploy NATO naval groups.

"These activities have been ongoing since yesterday, and I believe we can ensure the functionality of EstLink 1 in cooperation with our allies," Pevkur said.

When asked why such actions were not undertaken earlier, the defense minister explained that under normal circumstances, securing these connections is the responsibility of their owners.

"Unfortunately, this issue has now reached everyone's doorstep, which means we are also facing new costs. As taxpayers, we must use Defense Forces resources to ensure the functioning of civilian infrastructure. Under ordinary circumstances, it would not be logical for us to have to do this," Pevkur said.

Reigo Kebja, a member of Elering's management board, said on "Vikerhommik" on Friday that there are no issues with security of supply in Estonia, and this can be guaranteed even in the hypothetical scenario where EstLink 1, in addition to EstLink 2, is rendered inoperable.

The article was updated to add additional comments by Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur and information about a second Navy vessel having been dispatched to a different location.

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