The Estonian parliament plans to consider a bill allowing the army and navy to use force against suspicious merchant ships. This was reported by broadcaster ERR.
‘The aim is to authorise the Navy to prevent incidents that have become more frequent recently, such as foreign merchant ships deliberately severing sea cables and damaging other infrastructure,’ the ERR said.
The head of the Estonian parliament’s defence committee, Kalev Stoicesku, said that under the new bill, the military will be given the right to sink a ‘suspicious vessel’ that does not obey their orders.
He noted that such measures will be taken ‘only in the most extreme case’, when a threat to human life is noticed and the crew of the suspicious vessel will be evacuated before sinking.
Earlier, Estonian Foreign Minister Markus Csahna said that Hungary could be deprived of the right to vote in the European Union, including for co-operation with Russia.
