Estonia Refrains From Seizing Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’
NATO member Estonia will refrain from detaining Russia‘s “shadow fleet” vessels in the Baltic Sea, worried that seizing oil tankers and other ships sanctioned by the West could lead Moscow to defend them militarily, a senior commander said on Friday.
Estonia‘s Navy Commander Ivo Vark told Reuters that the risk of military escalation is just too high. This decision comes after an unsuccessful attempt to board a Russian vessel last year, which saw Moscow send a fighter jet into NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea during an Estonian attempt to stop an unflagged Russia-bound oil tanker it believed was defying Western sanctions.
Russian Military Presence in the Gulf of Finland
Since then, Moscow has launched a permanent patrol of two or three armed military vessels in the Gulf of Finland, and also deployed more ships elsewhere in the Baltic Sea, along the lanes used by tankers carrying Russian oil. Vark said that the Russian military presence here in the Gulf of Finland has become much, much more evident.
Estonia would only consider intervening in the case of imminent danger, such as damage to underwater infrastructure or oil spills. However, this restraint does not mean Estonia is entirely passive. The country’s navy continues to monitor the situation and work with other European nations to address the issue.
Baltic Sea Tankers: A Growing Concern
The number of tankers at the Vaindloo Anchorage in Estonia‘s exclusive economic zone has tripled to around 30-40 this week as recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian ports disrupted their loading schedule, Vark said. This growing presence of idle tankers awaiting their turn to enter a nearby Russian port and load oil is a concern for Estonia.
The Kremlin views sanctions as a malign attempt to crush its economy, says its ships have the right to free passage in the Baltic Sea, and that Russia is ready to respond to any attempt to stop them. The situation remains tense, with both sides wary of escalation.
Original Article: Estonia Refrains From Seizing Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Citing Escalation Risk — Kyivpost