Estonia would need to rely on the special forces of its neighbor to the north and new member of NATO, Finland, and possible Finnish helicopters too, in such cases.

Of the navy's current flotilla, Saska said: "The Kindral Kurvits is a capable ship, but it is too small," referring to a patrol vessel (pictured) formerly belonging to the civilian Police and Border Guard Board's (PPA), but handed over to the navy when the two fleets were merged.

"It lacks the weapon systems necessary to forcefully stop a vessel if needed. Nor does it have the crew size required for a joint operation similar to what the Finnish forces would carry out," Saska went on.

The former navy chief also pointed out that this particular vessel lacks underwater surveillance systems, unlike the Finnish forces, who were able to detect an anchor chain in the water during their operation.

"There is no system onboard to see what is happening underwater. On the Finnish side they saw, for instance, that the anchor chain was in the water," Saska went on, referring to Christmas Day's Eagle S incident, which took the Estlink 2 electricity cable offline.

Saska emphasized that maritime surveillance requires coordination across several branches of the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF): the air force (Õhuvägi) in aerial monitoring, the navy for surface operations and potentially for underwater activities, complemented by intelligence units.

There are also issues of international and maritime law to consider.

Saska continued: "If it doesn't stop, it keeps moving, then a ship commander at sea faces a dilemma — even if they have those weapon systems, should they use them to stop that vessel?"

Saska pointed out that a lawyer would need to inform commanders in advance about the legal consequences of using force to stop a vessel.

"From my own experience, I can say that knowledge of maritime law in our country was definitely lacking, at least it was a year ago," Saska, who retired last summer, said.

Saska conceded that while Estonia has trained personnel within its Special Operations Command (ESTSOF) and the PPA, joint operations haven't been rehearsed at the level necessary for ad hoc action in real time.

Meanwhile Saska's replacement as commander of the navy Commodore Ivo Värk also highlighted that Estonia's current naval resources are insufficient for major operations like those needed during the recent submarine cable incidents.

He said: "Our current capabilities and resources are limited to minehunters and patrol vessels, which are quite small and modestly armed."

Saska suggested focusing solely on larger vessels, such as one 80 to 90 meters in length, won't resolve operational issues, stressing that conclusions must be drawn from the government and EDF leadership.

Marek Aas, commander of K-Commando, the PPA's swat team, stressed that Estonia's special forces, supported by the PPA's helicopter unit, are capable of handling operations on land, sea, and air, alongside Finland as a crucial partner.

Estonia's forces have trained with Finnish special forces and are in constant contact for mutual support in high-risk operations, as seen during the December 25-26 incident, when Finland itself may have requested aid.

The Estonian Navy has eight commissioned ships, mostly minehunters including its flagship, the EML Admiral Cowan, a former Royal Navy Sandown-class vessel, as well as two Estonian-made force protection vessels, now boosted by the addition of the four former PPA vessels.

The navy and air force are organizationally a part of the EDF, and not standalone services.

The EDF has clarified that its task is to protect the Estlink 1 cable and patrol the designated area.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal on January 2 affirmed Estonia's readiness to respond similarly to Finland in the case of any such incidents in the future.

The vessel responsible for the damage remains impounded off Porvoo, Finland, and some of its crew are subject to movement restrictions.

A Swedish military vessel this week found the Eagle S's anchor, which had become detached in the incident, on the seabed.

Estlink 2 is likely to be offline for half a year.

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