In the first incident of its kind, Russia detained the Green Admire, a Greek oil tanker which had set sail from the Estonian port of Sillamäe, on Sunday 18 May.

Source: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The Liberian-flagged Green Admire was intercepted in Russian territorial waters while sailing on a pre-approved route.

Estonia's Foreign Ministry stated that the route, which had been chosen for maritime safety reasons and did not strictly follow national borders, had been established by mutual agreement between Russia, Estonia and Finland.

To prevent similar incidents in the future, vessels bound for the Port of Sillamäe will be rerouted through Estonian territorial waters.

Quote from Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna: "Russia continues to behave in an unpredictable manner. Our Allies have been informed."

Background:

• A few days prior to this incident, Estonia's navy had attempted to stop the Jaguar, a tanker sailing through international waters in the Gulf of Finland towards the Russian port of Primorsk. The tanker is believed to be part of Russia's shadow fleet, used to circumvent sanctions. The available information indicates that its crew refused to comply with orders from the Estonian border authorities, but the vessel later left Estonia's exclusive economic zone. The Jaguar is on the UK sanctions list.
• In response to Estonia's actions, Russia reportedly dispatched a fighter jet that violated Estonian airspace, the Estonian military said.

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