Russia threatens Estonia with retaliatory measures for the detention of the cargo ship Baltic Spirit, which was heading to Russia. The State Duma has already begun talking about the mass detention of Estonian ships.
Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, warned during a briefing that Moscow would respond to the risks and threats arising from Estonia's new maritime legislation. "So far, the Estonians do not dare to apply their new so-called legislation to ships under the Russian flag," she said. However, more militant calls were heard in the State Duma.
Andrei Kartapolov, chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee and member of the Marine Board of the Government of Russia, called the incident a provocation and piracy, promising a tough response. "No one intends to forgive them for this; the conversation with them will be serious. We must respond with self-respect and, importantly, not stoop to their level. Of course, we will raise this issue at the diplomatic level, but all necessary conclusions have already been made," the deputy stated, adding that now all Estonian ships in the Baltic Sea "risk not reaching" their ports of destination.
The vessel was traveling from Ecuador to St. Petersburg and entered Estonian territorial waters for refueling. It has already been reported that investigators from the Estonian Tax and Customs Department, in a joint operation with the police and the Navy, detained a container ship registered in the Bahamas, which is suspected of smuggling. On Tuesday at 17:10, during a joint operation near Naissaar Island, officials from the Estonian Tax and Customs Department, in cooperation with a police special unit and the Navy, detained the cargo ship Baltic Spirit, which was heading to Russia. The basis for the detention was suspicions of the ship's involvement in smuggling.
The police special unit boarded the ship, and the vessel was detained for further customs inspection. The crew did not resist. The vessel was traveling from Ecuador to St. Petersburg and entered Estonian waters to replenish fuel supplies. At the time of the initial customs inspection, the ship was at an official anchorage. According to information available to the Estonian Navy, Baltic Spirit is not a vessel of the Russian "shadow fleet" and is not subject to European Union sanctions.
