Estonia’s defence minister proposed on Wednesday that shipping companies may have to pay a fee to use the Baltic Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, to cover the high costs of protecting undersea cables following a series of breaches,

Globally, around 150 undersea cables are damaged each year, according to the UK-based International Cable Protection Committee. The telecoms cables, power lines and gas pipes in t

Shipping firms may need to pay a tax to use the Baltic Sea to fund costly protection for underwater cables, says Estonia’s defence minister. Hanno Pevkur said the move may be needed after a series of incidents where vessels allegedly linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” have damaged power and communications cables with their anchors in acts of suspected sabotage by Vladimir Putin ’s regime.