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The Print
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Estonia says Russia sent jet after attempt to stop sanction-breaking ship
Estonia's navy said the unflagged Jaguar ship, which went onto a UK sanctions list last week, refused to cooperate when asked to stop and was then escorted to Russian waters. Russia, which regards sanctions as a malign attempt to crush its economy, says all its ships have free passage in the Baltic and any attempt to stop them is dangerous. By Andrius Sytas and Sabine Siebold TALLINN/ANTALYA, Turkey (Reuters) – Estonia said on Thursday that Moscow had briefly sent a fighter jet into NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea during an attempt to stop a Russian-bound oil tanker thought to be part of a 'shadow fleet' defying Western sanctions on Moscow. 'The Russian Federation sent a fighter jet to check the situation, and this fighter jet violated NATO territory for close to one minute,' Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told reporters in Turkey ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers from the transatlantic military alliance. '(The) Russian Federation is ready to protect the 'shadow fleet'… The situation is really serious,' Tsahkna added. Western nations say Moscow is using a 'shadow fleet' of more than 100 ships to dodge sanctions that President Vladimir Putin views as a part of a campaign to quash its global influence. Moscow sends millions of barrels of oil and fuel every day to buyers in China and India and has warned against any attempt to violate its vessels' freedom of movement. The tanker was sailing in international waters, between Estonia and Finland, and refused Estonian navy requests to change course, a spokesperson for the Baltic country's defence forces later told Reuters. A Russian SU-35 fighter jet approached the tanker and circled it, flying in international airspace except when it violated Estonian airspace briefly as it first approached the scene, the spokesperson added. Finland accused Russian ships of behaving recklessly in the area while Lithuania expressed fears of conflict. 'The probability of a serious escalation in the Baltic Sea is growing,' Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said. 'Russia is clearly demonstrating that it is ready to protect the route for its oil. We need to act carefully and rationally, so that escalation does not turn into a military clash.' NATO chief Mark Rutte said the alliance and Estonia were in 'close contact' about the incident. 'FOLLOW MY INSTRUCTIONS' Estonia said NATO military aircraft had also taken off to inspect the Gabon-listed Jaguar. It was near Naissaar Island off the Estonian capital Tallinn when the navy communicated with it by radio on Tuesday afternoon, Commander Ivo Vark told Reuters in an email message. Given it was sailing 'without a nationality', the navy sought to verify its documents and status, Vark said. But when it refused to cooperate and continued towards Russian waters, the navy opted to escort it there with a patrol ship. On Thursday, the Jaguar was anchored near the Russian port of Primorsk, Marine Traffic data showed. Footage on X purporting to be filmed from the bridge of the tanker shows an Estonian navy patrol ship, helicopter and aircraft nearby. An identification number seen in the video matches the Jaguar. 'This is Estonian warship … follow my instructions, alter your course to 105 immediately,' a voice in English sounds over a radio. 'We are met by helicopters, they demand we go on anchor,' says another voice in Russian off-camera. Another voice, in Hindi, says: 'The plane is on top of us. It's either an aircraft or a drone. The military ship is turning towards the stern of the vessel.' A military jet, which Estonia does not operate, is also glimpsed flying nearby. On X, Margarita Simonyan, head of Russia's state media outlet RT, who posted the video, said the figher jet was sent to prevent the vessel's seizure. Authorities in Gabon did not immediately comment on Estonia's assertion that the ship is on their registry. In another incident on April 11, Estonia detained and boarded a Russia-bound oil tanker, Kiwala, accusing it of sailing without a valid country flag. The tanker was released two weeks later after Djibouti confirmed its registry. Kremlin aide Nikolai Patrushev told the Kommersant newspaper last month that Russia's navy was ready to protect its ships. 'Hotheads in London or Brussels need to understand this clearly,' he said, adding that Western efforts to block Russian ships were beginning to resemble a 'naval blockade'. It was unclear if Estonia acted on its own initiative or on a request from NATO. Washington is pushing hard for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying he could rachet up sanctions if Moscow refuses to cooperate. (Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Tallinn and Sabine Siebold in Antalya; Additional reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov in London, Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm, Andrew Gray in Brussels, Gerauds Wilfried Obangome in Libreville; Writing by Andrius Sytas and Gwladys Fouche; Editing by Clarence Fernandez, Andrew Cawthorne and Gareth Jones) Disclaimer: This report is auto generated from the Reuters news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Reuters
15-05-2025
- Reuters
Estonian navy says it tried to detain one of Russian 'shadow fleet' in Baltic Sea
RIGA, May 15 (Reuters) - The Estonian Navy said it attempted on Tuesday to detain a Russia-bound oil tanker under sanction by Britain, saying it sailed illegally without a flag, but did not board it when it refused to cooperate, instead escorting it to Russian waters. The vessel, Jaguar, which Britain added to its sanctions list last Friday, is one of about 100 in Russia's "shadow fleet", a term Western countries use for ships they accuse Moscow of deploying to avoid international sanctions. They are typically not regulated or insured by conventional Western organisations. The ship was near Naissaar Island, off Tallinn, when the Estonian Navy communicated with it by radio at 1530 GMT on Tuesday, Commander Ivo Vark told Reuters in an email message. As it was sailing "without a nationality", Estonia "had an obligation to verify the vessel's documents and legal status", Vark said on Wednesday. "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." An Estonian patrol escorted the Jaguar until it reached Russian waters, Vark added. The Estonian defence ministry declined to comment. On Thursday, the Jaguar was anchored near the Russian port of Primorsk, Marine Traffic data showed. It was listed there under the flag of the central African nation of Gabon. Vark was responding to a Reuters request for comment on a recording on X purporting to show the boarding attempt, but which could not be independently verified. Filmed from a bridge of a tanker whose IMO identification number matches that of the Jaguar, the video shows a navy patrol boat, a helicopter and a patrol aircraft hovering nearby. "This is Estonian warship ... follow my instructions, alter your course to 105 immediately," says a voice on the radio. In Russian, a voice says off-camera, "We are met by helicopters, they demand we go on anchor." A military jet, which Estonia does not operate, is also glimpsed flying nearby. Vark did not reply to a query if the incident was connected to Tuesday's alleged breach of Estonian airspace by a Russian Su-35 military jet that drew a protest from Estonia. In an incident on April 11, Estonia detained and boarded a Russia-bound oil tanker, Kiwala, accusing it of sailing without a valid country flag. The tanker cooperated, and was released two weeks later.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Estonian navy says it tried to detain one of Russian 'shadow fleet' in Baltic Sea
By Andrius Sytas RIGA (Reuters) - The Estonian Navy said it attempted on Tuesday to detain a Russia-bound oil tanker under sanction by Britain, saying it sailed illegally without a flag, but did not board it when it refused to cooperate, instead escorting it to Russian waters. The vessel, Jaguar, which Britain added to its sanctions list last Friday, is one of about 100 in Russia's "shadow fleet", a term Western countries use for ships they accuse Moscow of deploying to avoid international sanctions. They are typically not regulated or insured by conventional Western organisations. The ship was near Naissaar Island, off Tallinn, when the Estonian Navy communicated with it by radio at 1530 GMT on Tuesday, Commander Ivo Vark told Reuters in an email message. As it was sailing "without a nationality", Estonia "had an obligation to verify the vessel's documents and legal status", Vark said on Wednesday. "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." An Estonian patrol escorted the Jaguar until it reached Russian waters, Vark added. The Estonian defence ministry declined to comment. On Thursday, the Jaguar was anchored near the Russian port of Primorsk, Marine Traffic data showed. It was listed there under the flag of the central African nation of Gabon. Vark was responding to a Reuters request for comment on a recording on X purporting to show the boarding attempt, but which could not be independently verified. Filmed from a bridge of a tanker whose IMO identification number matches that of the Jaguar, the video shows a navy patrol boat, a helicopter and a patrol aircraft hovering nearby. "This is Estonian warship ... follow my instructions, alter your course to 105 immediately," says a voice on the radio. In Russian, a voice says off-camera, "We are met by helicopters, they demand we go on anchor." A military jet, which Estonia does not operate, is also glimpsed flying nearby. Vark did not reply to a query if the incident was connected to Tuesday's alleged breach of Estonian airspace by a Russian Su-35 military jet that drew a protest from Estonia. In an incident on April 11, Estonia detained and boarded a Russia-bound oil tanker, Kiwala, accusing it of sailing without a valid country flag. The tanker cooperated, and was released two weeks later.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Activists say aid vessel bound for Gaza was struck by drone
Activists are demanding an investigation after they say a humanitarian ship headed to Gaza was bombed by a drone in the Mediterranean Sea overnight Friday. The passenger vessel Conscience made a mayday call shortly after midnight, reporting a fire on its bow, the government of Malta said. The ship, located off the coast of Malta in international waters at the time, was being operated by activists with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which is campaigning to end Israel's ongoing blockade of aid into Gaza. MORE: WFP delivers its last stocks of food in Gaza as malnutrition worsens, agency says Israel began the aid blockade on March 2 after the end of the temporary ceasefire deal, saying they were imposing the blockade to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. Malta's government said that 12 crew members and four civilian passengers were on board and none were injured. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the reported attack. FFC spokesperson Yasemin Acar told ABC News in a video interview from Valletta, the capital of Malta, that most of those aboard were asleep when they awoke to the sound of an explosion, Acar said the vessel was struck twice "which why they knew they were under attack." The group claims the blasts were caused by a drone whose immediate origin the group did not know. ABC News has not been able to verify the group's claims. MORE: Gaza on the brink: Closed border crossings push population toward famine Video and photos provided by the FFC showed fire and smoke on board Conscience, as well as damage to the bow of the vessel in the aftermath of the reported attack. ABC News showed the FCC photos showing the damaged sustained to the Conscience to Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordinance disposal specialist. "The damage is consistent with two small blast munitions, which can be deployed by drone," Ball said. "You'd need remnants to confirm that though, well as country of origin." Acar said the vessel had been carrying humanitarian aid, which Israel's government is not allowing to enter Gaza. In an online statement, the FFC called for an investigation into the reported attack and demanded that "Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters." ABC News has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. State Department for comment on the incident. The moments after the reported strike are visible in ship tracking data from MarineTraffic. Shortly after midnight, the Conscience can be seen veering off its course. According to MarineTraffic, the vessel left Bizerte, Tunisia, on Wednesday and was scheduled to dock in Malta on Friday. There, the FFC said, the vessel planned to bring aboard more passengers -- including climate activist Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright -- before continuing on to Gaza. Data from online flight tracker ADSBExchange shows that a military transport plane operated by Israel's military flew over Malta in the hours before the attack. The Lockheed KC-130H plane entered Maltese airspace at around 3:25 p.m. local time. Data shows the plane flying in a zig-zag pattern around the eastern coast of Malta at an altitude as low as 4,350 feet before beginning its return to Israel at around 7:30 p.m. local time, nearly five hours before the reported attack on Conscience. -ABC News' Dana Savir and Benjamin Siu contributed to this report. Activists say aid vessel bound for Gaza was struck by drone originally appeared on
03-05-2025
- Politics
Activists say aid vessel bound for Gaza was struck by drone
Activists are demanding an investigation after they say a humanitarian ship headed to Gaza was bombed by a drone in the Mediterranean Sea overnight Friday. The passenger vessel Conscience made a mayday call shortly after midnight, reporting a fire on its bow, the government of Malta said. The ship, located off the coast of Malta in international waters at the time, was being operated by activists with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which is campaigning to end Israel's ongoing blockade of aid into Gaza. Israel began the aid blockade on March 2 after the end of the temporary ceasefire deal, saying they were imposing the blockade to put pressure on Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. Malta's government said that 12 crew members and four civilian passengers were on board and none were injured. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the reported attack. FFC spokesperson Yasemin Acar told ABC News in a video interview from Valletta, the capital of Malta, that most of those aboard were asleep when they awoke to the sound of an explosion, Acar said the vessel was struck twice "which why they knew they were under attack." The group claims the blasts were caused by a drone whose immediate origin the group did not know. ABC News has not been able to verify the group's claims. Video and photos provided by the FFC showed fire and smoke on board Conscience, as well as damage to the bow of the vessel in the aftermath of the reported attack. ABC News showed the FCC photos showing the damaged sustained to the Conscience to Trevor Ball, a former U.S. Army explosive ordinance disposal specialist. "The damage is consistent with two small blast munitions, which can be deployed by drone," Ball said. "You'd need remnants to confirm that though, well as country of origin." Acar said the vessel had been carrying humanitarian aid, which Israel's government is not allowing to enter Gaza. In an online statement, the FFC called for an investigation into the reported attack and demanded that "Israeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the ongoing blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters." ABC News has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. State Department for comment on the incident. The moments after the reported strike are visible in ship tracking data from MarineTraffic. Shortly after midnight, the Conscience can be seen veering off its course. According to MarineTraffic, the vessel left Bizerte, Tunisia, on Wednesday and was scheduled to dock in Malta on Friday. There, the FFC said, the vessel planned to bring aboard more passengers -- including climate activist Greta Thunberg and retired US Army Colonel Mary Ann Wright -- before continuing on to Gaza. Data from online flight tracker ADSBExchange shows that a military transport plane operated by Israel's military flew over Malta in the hours before the attack. The Lockheed KC-130H plane entered Maltese airspace at around 3:25 p.m. local time. Data shows the plane flying in a zig-zag pattern around the eastern coast of Malta at an altitude as low as 4,350 feet before beginning its return to Israel at around 7:30 p.m. local time, nearly five hours before the reported attack on Conscience.
