11.04.2025 18:21
The Estonian navy detained an oil tanker heading to Russia for sailing illegally without a valid national flag. The oil tanker named "Kiwala" has been under European Union sanctions since February, as it is reported to be part of the "shadow fleet" used by Russia to circumvent international sanctions.
Estonia's Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced that the Estonian Navy has detained an oil tanker that was sailing without the country's flag and is on the European Union (EU) sanctions list. In a social media post, Prime Minister Michal stated, "Our authorities are currently on the ship, inspecting its legal status."
HEADING TO RUSSIA
According to MarineTraffic data, the oil tanker named "Kiwala" was heading to Russia at the time it was detained. While it was claimed that the tanker was flying the Djibouti flag, the Estonian Transport Authority reported that Djiboutian officials denied that the tanker was registered in their country.
PART OF RUSSIA'S "SHADOW FLEET"
The oil tanker named "Kiwala" has been reported to be part of the "shadow fleet" that Russia has been using to circumvent international sanctions since February, and it has been under EU sanctions. The tanker was heading from India's Sikka port to Russia's Ust-Luga port. EU countries state that Russia is using a "shadow fleet" to export crude oil and petroleum products to third countries.