Estonia will not detain Russian oil tankers in the Baltic Sea, as this could provoke military escalation from Russia. This was stated by the country's Navy Commander Ivo Värk. The decision comes amid increased Russian military presence in the Gulf of Finland.
NATO member Estonia will refrain from detaining vessels of Russia's "shadow fleet" in the Baltic Sea, Reuters reports. It is concerned that the seizure of oil tankers and other vessels that are under Western sanctions could lead to Moscow defending them militarily, said Estonian Navy Commander Ivo Värk on Friday.
The United Kingdom and other European countries, including France, Belgium, and Sweden, have intensified efforts to detain these tankers.
However, Estonia, the northernmost Baltic state located near major Russian oil and gas export facilities in the Gulf of Finland, is exercising restraint after an unsuccessful attempt to board a Russian vessel last year.
"The risk of military escalation is simply too high," said Estonian Navy Commander Ivo Värk. In May 2025, Estonia reported that Moscow sent a fighter jet into NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea during an attempt by Estonia to stop a flagless oil tanker heading to Russia. Eventually, the aircraft escorted the oil tanker into Russian waters.
Since then, Moscow has begun regular patrols with two or three warships in the Gulf of Finland. It has also deployed more ships in other parts of the Baltic Sea along the routes used by tankers carrying Russian oil.
"The Russian military presence here in the Gulf of Finland has become much, much more evident," Värk noted.
He added that Estonia would consider intervention only in the case of immediate danger, such as damage to underwater infrastructure or oil spills.
"It is obvious that in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as in the North Sea, the Russian presence is very minimal, so this gives you much more time and freedom to act regarding these vessels, as the risk of military confrontation and escalation is much lower," Värk indicated.
On Friday, Reuters reporters aboard an Estonian naval vessel in the Gulf of Finland observed a corvette of the Russian Navy near a large group of tankers. They were waiting for their turn to enter a neighboring Russian port to load oil.
According to Värk, the number of tankers at the anchorage station in Vainloo in Estonia's economic zone tripled this week, to about 30-40.
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