Russian Jet Buzzes Estonian Forces in Gulf of Finland Shadow Tanker Showdown

A tense maritime incident unfolded today in the off the Estonian coast when Estonian naval forces attempted to detain the M/T JAGUAR, a crude oil tanker allegedly part of Russia’s shadow fleet.

Estonian forces deployed a helicopter, patrol aircraft, and patrol boat to intercept the vessel, which apparently refused to comply with orders to halt or alter course.

The situation escalated when a Russian Su-35S fighter jet entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland in what appeared to be an attempt to deter Estonian forces. Part of the incident was captured from the bridge of the JAGUAR:

The JAGUAR, sailing under Gabon’s flag, subsequently proceeded to Russian waters and anchored near Gogland Island before proceeding towards Primorsk.

This incident follows a similar case from early April when Estonian authorities detained another sanctioned tanker, the Kiwala, for operating without a valid flag state registration. The Kiwala, also suspected to be part of the “shadow fleet” used to circumvent international sanctions, was released after Djibouti agreed to register the vessel temporarily.

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