Russia detains oil tanker after leaving Estonian port
Russian authorities on Sunday detained a Greek oil tanker after it left an Estonian port while sailing on a pre-agreed route in Russia’s territorial waters. The incident comes several days after Estonia attempted to stop a Russian shadow fleet vessel.
The Liberian-flagged “Green Admire” tanker left the Port of Sillamäe in eastern Estonia carrying a cargo of shale oil, destined for Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the Transport Administration said on Sunday afternoon. It is owned by the Greek company Aegean Shipping.
The vessel had been sailing along an agreed route through Russian waters.
The agency told ERR that such an incident had never occurred before.
Ships traveling to and from Sillamäe will now be directed to stay in Estonian territorial waters, the agency said.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the tanker was detained as it was departing from the port.
“Today’s incident shows that Russia continues to act unpredictably, which is why ships will be directed along an alternative route in the future,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.
“I have also informed our Allies of the event,” the minister added.
Russian authorities on Sunday detained a Greek oil tanker after it left an Estonian port while sailing on a pre-agreed route in Russia’s territorial waters. The incident comes several days after Estonia attempted to stop a Russian shadow fleet vessel.
The Liberian-flagged “Green Admire” tanker left the Port of Sillamäe in eastern Estonia carrying a cargo of shale oil, destined for Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the Transport Administration said on Sunday afternoon. It is owned by the Greek company Aegean Shipping.
The vessel had been sailing along an agreed route through Russian waters.
The agency told ERR that such an incident had never occurred before.
Ships traveling to and from Sillamäe will now be directed to stay in Estonian territorial waters, the agency said.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the tanker was detained as it was departing from the port.
“Today’s incident shows that Russia continues to act unpredictably, which is why ships will be directed along an alternative route in the future,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said.
“I have also informed our Allies of the event,” the minister added.
Russia has started acting very dangerously in the Baltic Sea, Tsahkna told the evening news show “Aktuaalne kaamera” on Sunday.
“This is definitely connected to the fact that we have started to harass Russia’s shadow fleet. I am not just talking about Estonia, but about Finland and other Baltic Sea countries more broadly. Within the European Union, we have now placed over 300 shadow fleet vessels on the sanctions list. We inspect all ships, their documents, and as you can see, we also have the capacity to intervene when necessary,” he said.
The minister said the shadow fleet, several hundred tankers in bad condition that Russia uses to avoid sanctions, is very important to Moscow.
“Somewhere between 50 to 60 percent of Russia’s oil and all commercial activity flows through the Gulf of Finland via their shadow fleet. Now we’re seeing the results, where Russia feels it’s become harder to conduct this business,” he told the show.
Tsahkna said the incident was unexpected. Estonia, Finland and Russia had all agreed that ships could use the route. He said Moscow “simply wanted to show force.”
“This is not a problem for us. Our pilots guide ships out of Sillamäe through Estonian territorial waters, which are somewhat more difficult for large vessels, a bit more dangerous because of the shallows, but we can handle it. We just need to respond calmly, step by step, but we have to understand that Russia is unpredictable and quite dangerous,” he said.
MFA not planning to summon Russian chargé d’affaires
Russia has started acting very dangerously in the Baltic Sea, Tsahkna told the evening news show “Aktuaalne kaamera” on Sunday.
“This is definitely connected to the fact that we have started to harass Russia’s shadow fleet. I am not just talking about Estonia, but about Finland and other Baltic Sea countries more broadly. Within the European Union, we have now placed over 300 shadow fleet vessels on the sanctions list. We inspect all ships, their documents, and as you can see, we also have the capacity to intervene when necessary,” he said.
The minister said the shadow fleet, several hundred tankers in bad condition that Russia uses to avoid sanctions, is very important to Moscow.
“Somewhere between 50 to 60 percent of Russia’s oil and all commercial activity flows through the Gulf of Finland via their shadow fleet. Now we’re seeing the results, where Russia feels it’s become harder to conduct this business,” he told the show.
Tsahkna said the incident was unexpected. Estonia, Finland and Russia had all agreed that ships could use the route. He said Moscow “simply wanted to show force.”
“This is not a problem for us. Our pilots guide ships out of Sillamäe through Estonian territorial waters, which are somewhat more difficult for large vessels, a bit more dangerous because of the shallows, but we can handle it. We just need to respond calmly, step by step, but we have to understand that Russia is unpredictable and quite dangerous,” he said.
MFA not planning to summon Russian chargé d’affaires
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