Estonian defence forces detain tanker Kiwala heading to Russia

The Estonian Defense Forces have detained the tanker Kiwala, which was heading towards Russia. 

During a press conference, the commander of the Estonian Navy, Commodore Ivo Värk, stated that the purpose of the detention was to check the ship's documents and legal status.

According to data from the Marine Traffic service, Kiwala was traveling to the Russian port of Ust-Luga along Estonia's territorial waters. The newspaper Postimees reports that the detention may be linked to an investigation into Russia’s "shadow fleet."

The "shadow fleet" refers to ships transporting Russian oil in defiance of sanctions. Moscow considers the sanctions imposed illegal and ineffective.

Veiko Kommussaar, head of the police and border guard department, confirmed that the vessel is under sanctions. He stated that the tanker lacks the flag of any country, which means its passage in this area was illegal. Estonia exercised its right to detain the vessel for verification purposes, he added.

The Marine Traffic report indicates that Kiwala sails under the flag of Djibouti. However, a Djiboutian representative claimed that the vessel is not registered in their registry, and there is no information available about the owner, according to Postimees.

During the inspection, the tanker dropped anchor near Aegna Island in the Muuga Bay. Estonian military ships are currently positioned next to the vessel.

At the time of detention, there were 24 nationals of third countries aboard. The ship's captain is a Chinese national, and the rest are likely citizens of Mauritania, according to the publication.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that the detention of Kiwala confirms the effectiveness of coordinated actions against Russia’s shadow fleet. "The vessel entered Estonia’s waters without a flag or insurance, and sanctions have been imposed on it by the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Switzerland," he said (quote from ERR).

In December 2024, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia agreed to regularly check insurance certificates for oil tankers. Since then, Estonia has requested insurance documents from nearly 500 vessels, according to ERR.

By Tamilla Hasanova