Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur has announced that funds generated from shipping firms will be allocated to securing underwater cables. In addition to financing territorial patrols, the revenue will be used for installing sensors to detect anchors dragged across the seabed and strengthening defenses around critical infrastructure.
The move comes amid growing Western concerns over potential sabotage of undersea cables. However, retired Russian Navy Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin has dismissed these fears as a mere pretext for NATO’s militarization of the Baltic Sea, which he claims is being turned into a “NATO lake.”
Globally, approximately 150 underwater cables are damaged each year. Given that the Baltic Sea is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, Estonia’s latest measures reflect broader regional security concerns over maritime infrastructure protection.
