The Russian coast guard, unjustifiably and abusively, detained the tanker “Green Admire” of the Greek company Aegean Shipping, owned by George Melisanidis, in the Baltic Sea, after it departed from an Estonian port.
The tanker was using a designated shipping route outside the Estonian port of Sillamäe, which crosses Russian territorial waters, as confirmed by the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Liberian-flagged Green Admire was carrying shale oil and was bound for Rotterdam.
The crew of the vessel is safe, while the tanker is anchored off the Russian island of Gogland. An interpreter has reportedly been sent to facilitate communication between the captain and the Russian authorities.
There has been no official statement from the Russian side on the matter yet. The Kommersant newspaper is following the developments.
A regular shipping route
It is perfectly normal for ships sailing from the port of Sillamäe to sail through Russian waters, as the route is considered safer for large ships compared to navigating through shallow points in Estonian waters.
Estonia’s Transport Ministry said it was the first such incident and that it would now direct ships arriving and departing from Sillamäe through the country’s territorial waters to avoid a similar incident.
“Today’s incident shows that Russia continues to behave unpredictably,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said, adding that “I have also informed our allies about the incident.”
Another tanker
The incident occurred three days after Russia sent an aircraft during Estonia’s attempt to stop a Russian oil tanker.
Specifically, on May 15, the Estonian Navy attempted to stop the tanker Jaguar, which was heading towards the Russian port of Primorsk. Several vessels and helicopters participated in the operation. The Russian Aerospace Forces sent a Su-35 fighter jet to the incident area. As a result, the tanker arrived safely at the Russian port.
