Russia Releases Greek-Owned Tanker After Detention In Baltic Waters

A Greek-owned oil tanker was released on Monday, May 19 after being held by Russian authorities for around 24 hours in the Baltic Sea.

The vessel, named Green Admire and flying the Liberian flag, was detained on Sunday shortly after leaving the Estonian port of Sillamäe with a cargo of shale oil bound for Rotterdam, Netherlands.

According to Estonian public broadcaster ERR and LSEG ship tracking data, the tanker is now continuing its journey through the Gulf of Finland and sailing in international waters.

The vessel had been stopped near Gogland, a heavily militarised island under Russian control, after crossing into Russian territorial waters via a route that was previously accepted for deep-draft vessels.

The Green Admire, built in 2022 and managed by Piraeus-based Aegean Shipping Management, was advised by a local pilot not to use the route through Russian waters.

However, the ship’s master proceeded anyway, which is allowed under maritime law as the final routing decision lies with the captain. Estonia’s Transport Board confirmed this detail, stating that the approved corridor, though cutting through Russian territory, has been commonly used in the past.

Estonian authorities said the ship failed to respond to several warnings issued by Russian forces while sailing through an area that had been marked “dangerous for shipping.” Despite this designation, Russia had not enforced the warning in the past.

Officials from Estonia’s navy said this was the first time in recent memory that Russian forces had actively interfered with the movement of merchant shipping near Estonia.

Russia’s reason for the detention wasn’t officially explained, but Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna says that it may have been a retaliatory move. Estonia has been stepping up its efforts to intercept tankers involved in transporting Russian oil across the Baltic Sea to expose Russia’s “shadow fleet.”

This shadow fleet reportedly includes older tankers acquired by non-transparent entities in countries that haven’t imposed sanctions on Russia. Many of these vessels are flagged in places like Gabon, the Cook Islands, or the Marshall Islands and are believed to be used for transporting sanctioned oil and even stolen Ukrainian grain.

Tsahkna described Russia’s action as unpredictable and said he had informed Estonia’s NATO allies of the incident. He added that the country’s navy has been inspecting tankers believed to be carrying Russian oil.

The tanker’s detention follows another recent incident where a Russian fighter jet entered NATO airspace, in reaction to Estonia intercepting another suspected shadow fleet tanker named Argent on its way to Russia’s Primorsk port.

To avoid similar situations in the future, Estonia has announced that vessels heading to or from Sillamäe will now be directed only through Estonian territorial waters. This alternative route, while more complex and narrow due to surrounding shoals, avoids crossing into Russian maritime territory.

Estonia’s Transport Board had already been recommending since 2022 that ships avoid Russian waters when navigating to Sillamäe, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Despite this, many ship operators continued using the more straightforward international corridor through Russian waters due to its depth and fewer navigational risks.

Per reports, the Green Admire’s operations are co-financed by China’s Bank of Communications. Neither Russian officials nor the ship’s managers commented publicly on the exact reasons for the detention or the release.

The European Union has been actively targeting the shadow fleet through sanctions. In February, the EU added 70 vessels suspected of involvement to its growing list, which already included over 50 ships.

References: Reuters, euronews

Source: Maritime Shipping News