Estonia Won’t Detain Russian Tankers Over Risks
Estonia will not detain Russian tankers in the Baltic Sea, citing risks of military escalation after previous interception incidents.
Estonia has decided not to detain Russian tankers in the Baltic Sea due to the risk of military escalation. This was stated by Estonian Navy Commander Ivo Vark, according to Reuters.
He noted that the risk of escalation is too high, and Tallinn is prepared to intervene only in cases of direct threats, such as damage to underwater infrastructure or oil spills.
At the same time, Reuters reports that the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Sweden have stepped up measures to detain aging tankers which, according to Western assessments, are used by Russia to bypass sanctions and export oil.
In May 2025, Estonia already attempted to stop a flagless tanker heading to Russia, which Tallinn considered to be violating sanctions. During that incident, according to the agency, Russia scrambled a fighter jet that entered NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea and escorted the vessel into Russian waters. Vark said such cases confirm the high risks of intervention and potential escalation in the region.
It is also reported that Estonian authorities, with NATO support, attempted to detain a vessel heading to Primorsk.
Russian presidential aide Nikolai Patrushev described such actions as a threat of increased NATO military presence in the Baltic region.
Earlier, the Russian missile frigate Admiral Grigorovich escorted two oil tankers through the English Channel despite threats of seizure. The United Kingdom expressed concern over these measures to protect Russian oil exports.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov directly linked the presence of Admiral Grigorovich in the Channel to Russia’s actions to counter piracy.