15.05.2025 15:50
Tense moments occurred in the Baltic Sea. NATO and Russian fighter jets attempted to intervene with a secret Russian oil tanker that was being used to evade sanctions. The tanker refused to comply with Estonia's instructions, and Russia sent a fighter jet to protect the tanker. This incident took place ahead of important talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Tense moments occurred over the Baltic Sea. NATO and Russian warplanes confronted each other due to a secret Russian oil tanker.
The Estonian naval and air forces attempted to intervene with an oil tanker believed to belong to Russia's secret fleet used to evade sanctions. The tanker, named Jaguar and apparently flying the Gabon flag, was added to the sanctions list by the UK last Friday on the grounds that it was "a toy of Russia."
When the ship refused to comply with Estonia's orders, NATO air power, including Poland's MiG-29 aircraft, was put on alert.
In response, Russia sent a Su-35S fighter jet to protect the fleeing Jaguar. This Russian aircraft is alleged to have violated Estonian airspace while approaching the scene.
This striking incident occurred ahead of significant talks between Russia and Ukraine. In these talks, Vladimir Putin did not accept Zelensky's proposal for a face-to-face meeting.
In shared footage, a Polish NATO aircraft is seen closely following a Russian Su-35 over the Gulf of Finland.
A Russian voice speaking from the tanker’s command bridge derided Estonian soldiers attempting to board the ship but failing, calling them "clowns."
The tanker eventually anchored near Gogland Island, which is under Russian control.
The Baltic Sea, where the incident took place, has become one of the world's most tense regions between NATO and Russia due to disputes over Ukraine.
"Look how they greet us with helicopters," said the Russian voice on the tanker. "They want us to drop anchor."
A message was heard over the radio: "This is Estonian warship Papa 6732. Your request will be denied. Follow my orders. Immediately change your course to 105 degrees."
A voice speaking in Hindi from the tanker said: "That one ahead looks like our drone..."
A Russian voice responded: "Come on, shoot while we hit it..."
Looking at the Estonians: "What a bunch of clowns!"
The Estonian ship attempted to approach to divert the tanker. An Estonian A139 helicopter and an M-28 Skytruck reconnaissance aircraft were also seen surrounding the ship during the incident.
The Kremlin-friendly news site Izvestia reported it as a victory against the West, stating: "Despite this show of force, Estonian authorities failed to stop the ship. The Jaguar eventually reached Gogland Island under Russian control and continued on its way to Primorsk port."
Another Russian news site, News-Pravda, reported that "Estonian sailors attempted to land soldiers on the ship from a helicopter twice."
Following this extraordinary incident, NATO member Estonia summoned Lenar Salimullin, the Russian diplomatic representative in Tallinn, to the ministry and issued him a protest note stating that a Russian warplane had violated Estonian airspace.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated: "This is a very serious and unacceptable incident from Estonia's perspective," emphasizing that "harsher and faster sanctions against Russia are necessary."
According to Commander Ivo Vark, the tanker was warned by the Estonian Navy via radio while it was near Naissaar Island close to Tallinn at 6:30 PM (Turkey time) on Tuesday. Vark noted that the ship was sailing "without any country flag," and therefore Estonia had the "obligation to check the ship's documents and legal status."
"The ship refused to cooperate and continued its course towards Russia. Due to the ship being stateless, the use of force, including boarding the ship, was deemed unnecessary," Vark said. The Estonian navy followed the ship until it entered Russian territorial waters.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur explained that the ship was directed away from Estonia towards Russian territorial waters to prevent it from posing a threat to the country's critical infrastructure. "The issue was which country's flag the ship was flying, and our primary goal was to ensure the security of our critical infrastructure. We achieved that goal," he said.
The 244-meter-long Jaguar is an oil tanker that apparently flies the Gabon flag. According to the maritime database Equasis, the ship changed its name to Argent in early February and is now flying the Guinea-Bissau flag.
Russian President Putin is using a vast network of tankers flying flags of non-Russian countries, known as a "shadow fleet," to evade oil sanctions imposed by Western countries.