Minister of Defense Hanno Pevkur (Reform) told Wednesday evening's "Aktuaalne kaamera" that Estonia monitors vessels sailing in the Baltic Sea, and this ship raised suspicions because of its flag.

"Accordingly, we prepared for the possibility that if this vessel entered Estonia's area of responsibility and approached EstLink, we would escort it and try to determine its status," he said, referring to the undersea power cables running between Finland and Estonia. "The Navy was fulfilling its mission."

Pevkur said that aircraft were involved to signal that the situation was being taken seriously and actively addressed.

"To avoid any threat to Estonia's underwater infrastructure, the ship was escorted out of Estonian waters to Russian waters," he told the show.

"We had a question mark regarding the flag state, and the most important goal was to ensure the safety of critical infrastructure. That goal was achieved. Taking proportionality into account, we concluded together with the Police and Border Guard Board, the Transport Administration and the Navy that in this case, boarding the vessel was not a proportionate measure just to check one document," the minister said.

Pevkur said that Estonia's critical infrastructure was not in danger. "Ensuring that was also our primary objective," he added. Over the last 18 months, a gas pipeline, an electricity cable and several communications cables have been severed by ships' anchors.

Cdre. Ivo Värk, commander of the Estonian Navy, said the "Jaguar" lacked a flag state. The vessel was headed toward Russia via Estonia's exclusive economic zone on Tuesday, he told newspaper Postimees.

"At around 6:30 p.m., when the tanker reached the northern part of Naissaar, the Navy made contact with the vessel via communication equipment. The ship refused to cooperate and continued on its course toward Russia. At the same time, Navy vessels were present in the operational area. The EML Raju [patrol boat] escorted the tanker until it exited Estonia's exclusive economic zone," Värk said.

The incident was reported by the Polish website Defence24.pl on Wednesday evening. It said the tanker was transporting Russian oil as part of the so-called shadow fleet and headed to the port of Primorsk in Russia's Leningrad Region.

Video footage shows an Estonian A139 helicopter and an M-28 Skytruck plane circling near the vessel. In the next shot, an Estonian Navy's patrol ship is seen sailing close to the Gabonese-flagged tanker.

An Estonian crew member is heard over the radio asking the "Jaguar" to change course and follow the instructions of the rescue services.

The tanker is currently anchored near Gogland, the largest island under Russian control in the Gulf of Finland.

The vessel is linked to the Indian company Gatik Ship Management, one of the leading shadow fleet operators transporting Russian oil subject to Western sanctions, Defence24.pl said.

The Estonian Navy tried to intercept the JAGUAR tanker flying the flag of Gabon in the international waters of the Gulf of Finland, on the beam of Tallinn. The ship was bound for the Russian port of Primorsk. pic.twitter.com/Dqql92lx1p

— Capt(N) (@Capt_Navy) May 14, 2025

Russian investigative outlet The Insider reported that "Jaguar" is listed by Ukrainian intelligence and the international NGO Greenpeace as part of Russia's "shadow fleet."  

On Tuesday evening, a Russian fighter jet breached Estonia's airspace. It is not yet known if the events are related, although Defence24.pl and The Insider suggested a link.

Estonia has been checking the insurance documents of suspected shadow fleet vessels sailing through the Gulf of Finland for almost a year. Many of the vessels are used to evade Western sanctions, transport Russian oil and are in bad condition.

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) has called the situation an "environmental disaster" waiting to happen. The only questions are when and where it happens, he said.

In April, law enforcement agencies detained a ship in Estonian waters for sailing without a flag.

Minister: Estonia needs more capabilities

Asked why the Navy could not stop the vessel, Minister of the Interior Igor Taro (Eesti 200) said the incident shows Estonia needs to develop more capabilities.

"There is a lack of various response capabilities — both the ability to board from the sea and from the air. All of these elements are quite expensive, and this threat only emerged fairly recently, and these investments are large and require long-term planning," the minister told TV show "Esimene stuudio".

Additionally, stopping ships depends on the circumstances, Taro said.

"It depends on what they are doing and what exactly is happening, because we do have the option of turning to our Finnish friends. Just yesterday I visited the Finnish minister of the interior, and we briefly discussed this topic. We always have the option to rely on the help of our Finnish friends if the situation requires stronger intervention. This time, it was likely assessed that such intervention was not worth the trouble," he said.

Foreign minister: We must act

Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) said more needs to be done in the Gulf of Finland.

"Yesterday [Tuesday], another incident with Russia's shadow fleet in the Gulf of Finland proved that we must act," he wrote on X

"With the info op that followed Russia has clearly tied itself to the shadow fleet — a threat that must face tougher, faster sanctions. [Estonia] will defend our & Allies' security."

Yesterday another incident with Russia's shadow fleet in the Gulf of Finland proved that we must act.

With the info op that followed Russia has clearly tied itself to the shadow fleet - a threat that must face tougher, faster sanctions.

will defend our & Allies' security.

— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) May 14, 2025

This article was updated to add comments from Commodore Ivo Värk and Minister of the Interior Igor Taro.

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