Estonian soldiers detained a Russian oil tanker in the Baltic Sea near Tallinn early Friday morning. The ship, named Kiwala, is part of the so-called shadow fleet used to circumvent international sanctions against Russia, according to Estonian authorities. This is reported by the German Spiegel.
– Estonia takes suspicious activity in the Baltic Sea very seriously, says Kristen Michal, who is the Prime Minister of Estonia.
According to Michal, the security forces boarded the ship to investigate its legal status and safety. Data from the portal MarineTraffic shows that the tanker was heading towards Russia when it was detained.
– The detention is not related to damage to critical infrastructure, says Ivo Värk, commander of the Estonian Navy.
Kiwala has previously been sanctioned by both the EU and at least three non-EU countries – including Canada, Switzerland and the UK – due to past activities. The tanker was stopped on its way to the Russian port of Ust-Luga. According to Estonian authorities, the ship may not have a flag and may therefore not be allowed to sail on the high seas. However, other information suggests that it is sailing under the flag of Djibouti.
The authorities suspect that the ship was empty at the time of the detention. There were 24 crew members on board, and the captain, a Chinese citizen, has reportedly been cooperative.
MarineTraffic reports that the Kiwala is currently east of the island of Aegna in Muuga Bay and is being escorted by two warships.
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