On December 27, Estonia launched increased naval patrols in the Baltic Sea to protect its electrical connection with Finland following the damage to the East Link 2 cable, allegedly caused by a vessel from Russia. Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur announced the decision to bolster maritime security, signaling readiness to defend energy ties even with military means. The damaged cable, suspected to be linked to a ‘ghost fleet’, has raised concerns about similar incidents in the region since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.