Estonia Attempts to Intercept Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Baltic Sea

Estonia’s Navy attempted to detain a sanctioned Russia-bound oil tanker operating without a national flag on Tuesday, raising concerns over Moscow’s expanding use of the so-called “shadow fleet” to bypass Western sanctions, The Gaze reports, citing Reuters.

The vessel in question, Jaguar, was recently added to the United Kingdom’s sanctions list and is considered one of approximately 100 ships that Western officials accuse Russia of deploying to covertly transport oil. 

These vessels, commonly referred to as a “shadow fleet,” often sail without proper regulation, documentation, or Western insurance.

According to Estonian Navy Commander Ivo Värk, the incident occurred near Naissaar Island, off the coast of Tallinn, when Estonian forces established radio contact with the Jaguar at 15:30 GMT.

“As it was sailing ‘without a nationality,’ Estonia ‘had an obligation to verify the vessel’s documents and legal status,’” Värk said.

“The vessel denied cooperation and continued its journey toward Russia … given the vessel’s lack of nationality, the use of force, including boarding the vessel, was deemed unnecessary,” he added.

The Jaguar was subsequently escorted by an Estonian patrol vessel until it entered Russian waters.

On Wednesday, Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna took to X to call for stronger punitive action:

“Russia must face tougher, faster sanctions,” he posted. “With the info op that followed, Russia has clearly tied itself to the shadow fleet.”

According to MarineTraffic data, the Jaguar was anchored on Thursday near the Russian port of Primorsk and was listed under the flag of Gabon.

The incident follows a similar episode in April when Estonia detained another Russia-bound oil tanker, Kiwala, for sailing without a valid flag. That vessel cooperated with authorities and was released two weeks later.

Read more on The Gaze: Can the West Curb Russia’s Shadow Fleet?