Estonia announced today that Moscow temporarily deployed a fighter aircraft into NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea while trying to intercept a tanker suspected of being part of a “shadow fleet” that is evading Western sanctions against Russia.
Russia, viewing these sanctions as economic aggression, maintains that its vessels have the right to navigate freely through the Baltic, claiming that any interference poses a threat.
The Estonian navy reported that a flagless ship named Jaguar, listed on Britain’s sanctions roster last week, ignored requests to stop and was subsequently escorted into Russian territorial waters.
“The Russian Federation dispatched a fighter to assess the situation, which intruded into NATO airspace for nearly a minute,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Čakna stated to reporters in Turkey ahead of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting.
“Russia is clearly committed to safeguarding its ‘shadow fleet’… The situation is quite serious,” Čakna added.
Russia’s “shadow fleet”
Western nations accuse Moscow of operating a “shadow fleet” comprising over 100 ships to bypass sanctions that President Vladimir Putin perceives as efforts to diminish Russia’s global standing.
Moscow reportedly transports hundreds of barrels of oil and fuel daily to clients in China and India, warning against attempts to infringe on the freedom of its maritime movements.
The tanker was navigating international waters between Estonia and Finland and declined requests from the Estonian Navy to alter its course, a spokesman for the country’s defense forces informed Reuters later.
A Russian Su-35 approached the tanker, circling above it while remaining primarily in international airspace, though it briefly crossed into Estonian airspace during its initial approach, the spokesman added.
Escalation Risks in the Baltic Region
Finland has reported reckless behavior from Russian vessels in the area, and Lithuania has voiced concerns about potential conflicts.
“The likelihood of serious escalation in the Baltic Sea is rising,” asserted Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintaras Paluckas. “Russia is evidently ready to defend its oil route. We need to proceed with caution to prevent escalation from evolving into a military conflict.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the alliance and Estonia are in “close contact” regarding the incident.
Estonia confirmed that NATO fighter jets also launched to monitor the Jaguar, which is registered in Gabon.
Commander Ivo Vark explained in an email to Reuters that they contacted the ship via radio near Nasaar Island off Tallinn. After it refused to comply and moved towards Russian waters, the Estonian Navy decided to escort it with a patrol boat.
Today, the Jaguar was reported anchored near Primorsk, Russia, according to Marine Traffic.
Video footage on social media reportedly shows an Estonian Navy patrol boat, a helicopter, and a plane in the vicinity. The identification number in the video corresponds to that of the Jaguar.
“This is an Estonian warship. Follow my instructions, change your course to 105 immediately,” one voice commands over the radio in English.
“There are helicopters, they require us to drop anchor,” is another voice heard in Russian.
A voice in Hindi adds: “The plane is above us. It’s either a plane or a drone. The warship is maneuvering towards the rear of the ship.”
A fighter jet not operated by Estonia also appears to be in the vicinity.
Margaryta Simonyan, head of the Russian state media outlet RT, suggested on social media that the fighter was dispatched to prevent the seizure of the vessel.
Authorities in Gabon have not yet responded to Estonia’s claims about the ship’s registration.
In a separate incident on April 11, Estonia detained a Russian-chartered tanker, the Kiwala, accusing it of sailing without proper national identification. It was released two weeks later after Djibouti verified its registration.
Kremlin advisor Nikolai Patrushev stated in an interview last month that Russia’s Navy stands ready to protect its ships, addressing “hotheads” in London and Brussels who should recognize that efforts to impede Russian vessels resemble a “naval blockade.”
It remains uncertain whether Estonia’s actions were self-initiated or requested by NATO. Meanwhile, Washington advocates for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, with U.S. President Donald Trump signaling potential increases in sanctions should Moscow fail to cooperate.
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