The bill has been approved by the Riigikogu's National Defense Committee and would amend the Defense Forces Organization Act and the Exclusive Economic Zone Act.

The bill would allow the EDF, in accordance with international maritime law, to use force within Estonian waters to protect critical infrastructure, national defense objects, ports, structures, equipment, or vessels when other means fail.

Riigikogu defense committee chair Kalev Stoicescu (Eesti 200) said: "This must permit us to act not only in territorial seas – the 12 nautical miles from shore and islands – but also within the economic zone, up to where Estonia's zone meets those of other countries."

Stoicescu drew a parallel with the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S., but noted that vessels would not be sunk over damage to submarine cables.
At the same time, the Estonian Navy (Merevägi) would need new vessels to fulfill these tasks, Stoicescu added.

"The navy needs new or newer ships. At least one or two. This is probably also on the table during our coalition agreement negotiations," the Eesti 200 MP said.

Former navy commander Cdre Jüri Saska told "Aktuaalne Kaamera" that civilian vessels could be used by hostile nations in attacks, adding that he hopes the state will establish rules, and that politicians will have the courage to take responsibility for them, allowing the navy to use a proportional response.

Saska said: "Fully understanding the diplomacy involved when we use armed force against someone in international waters, effectively hindering freedom of navigation, is very complicated. We must grasp that it's the ship's commander who sees the situation at sea. Plus the pressure on that officer. Then politicians decide, and it all becomes unprovable?"

The amended rules would allow the Navy and EDF to sink a vessel if other means of repelling the threat are not viable or timely, and if the damage caused is less than the potential damage posed by the original threat. The vessel's master or flag state would also need to be notified as soon as possible.

Estonia's navy is a part of the EDF and not a standalone service.

Several high-profile incidents of damage to submarine cables in the Baltic Sea have occurred in recent years, including on the Estlink-2 cable over Christmas 2024.

The bill's third and final reading takes place at the Riigikogu on Wednesday.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!