Estonia raised concerns on Thursday, warning that Russia may be prepared to use military force to protect its fleet of aging tankers that are bypassing international sanctions to keep oil revenue and equipment flowing, even through European territorial waters.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna reported that a Russian fighter jet entered NATO airspace after the Estonian navy intercepted a suspected shadow fleet vessel in its waters. The ship, named Jaguar, was stopped by the navy because it was not flying a flag and appeared to lack insurance. The Russian warplane arrived on the scene shortly after the interception.
“This fighter jet violated NATO territory for one minute, which is something very new,” Tsahkna stated, speaking at a NATO meeting in Antalya, Turkey. NATO aircraft were quickly deployed to intercept the Russian jet. Tsahkna emphasized that this incident signals that Russia has officially aligned itself with the shadow fleet, stressing the importance of air patrols over the Baltic Sea and highlighting the seriousness of the situation.
The “shadow fleet” refers to a group of aging tankers, often purchased second-hand by opaque entities registered in countries like the United Arab Emirates or the Marshall Islands, and flagged in places such as Gabon or the Cook Islands. Some of these vessels are owned by the Russian state-run Sovcomflot shipping company. These ships help Russia’s oil exporters avoid the $60 per barrel price cap imposed by Western allies of Ukraine.
The European Union has been targeting these vessels with sanctions, and in February, it added 70 ships suspected of being part of the shadow fleet to its list of restricted entities, bringing the total to more than 120. EU foreign ministers are expected to impose sanctions on dozens more ships next week.
