The Navy has stepped up its patrols after undersea electricity cable EstLink 2 was damaged on December 25. Three telecom cables were also disrupted.

On Friday, the patrol vessel Raju was sent to guard the nearby Estlink 1 electricity cable between Estonia and Finland.

A second ship Kapten Kurvits used underwater robots to locate damage to Elisa's communication cables. The gathered material will be handed over to the authorities.

But Commodore Värk said the Navy cannot do everything.

"We are heavily limited by weather conditions. Weather imposes significant constraints on our operations. Our ships are small and cannot remain at sea for extended periods, nor can they operate effectively in severe weather. We definitely need both smaller and larger ships, which are already included in our future plans," the head of the Navy told Friday's "Aktuaalne kaamera."

Värk said the current situation needs to be kept in mind when replacing the fleet. Their service lifespan will be over within the next decade. 

The Estonian Navy has been tasked to monitor maritime infrastructure until March 31. Finland has also deployed additional ships to patrol near infrastructure sites, Värk added.

On Friday, NATO said it would increase its presence in the Baltic Sea, but no additional details were given. Discussions with NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) are planned.

"Exactly how we proceed will become clearer in the coming days. The Chief of Defense is in contact with SACEUR. We are keeping various lines of communication open. Our task is to ensure that there is continuous patrol presence around the Estlink 1 cable," said Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform.)

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