6 hours ago 1

Russia detains oil tanker leaving Estonian port

The Russian Federation on May 18 detained an oil tanker sailing from the Estonian port of Sillamae, Estonia's Foreign Ministry reported.

The incident comes three days after Russia reportedly violated NATO airspace with a fighter when Estonia attempted to intercept a suspected "shadow fleet" vessel in the Baltic Sea.

The oil tanker Green Admire was a Greek-owned vessel sailing under a Liberian flag, the Estonian Foreign Ministry said. It departed from Estonia following a previously agreed-upon route via Russian territorial waters.

The route was "selected for its maritime safety and not aligned strictly along national boundaries" and "established through mutual agreement between Russia, Estonia, and Finland," the ministry said in a statement.

As a precaution, Estonia plans to redirect traffic to and from the Sillamae port exclusively through its own territorial waters. The ministry has also informed NATO allies of the incident.

"Today's incident shows that Russia continues to behave unpredictably," Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.

Baltic nations have sounded the alarm about Russia's increasing aggression in the Baltic Sea, including suspected acts of sabotage.

Earlier this month, Latvia's Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIDD) reported that Russian military behavior in the Baltic Sea region is "increasing the threat of accidental military incidents."

The report cited Russia's aggressive tactics, such as unauthorized airspace incursions and close encounters with NATO ships and aircraft.

A Russian military jet on May 15 violated NATO airspace after the Estonian Navy tried to stop the Jaguar, a tanker believed to belong to Moscow's shadow fleet. Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil vessels consists of aging tankers used to circumvent sanctions, including those imposed by the EU, U.K., and U.S.

Previously, on April 11, the Estonian Navy for the first time detained an oil tanker belonging to the shadow fleet.