Estonia’s Prime Minister Kristen Michal has vowed to continue monitoring Russia’s “shadow fleet” vessels, despite a recent incident where a SU-35 fighter jet breached NATO airspace during an attempt to inspect a Russian-bound oil tanker.
The Estonian government will continue to check suspicious tankers, with Michal stating that everyone in the region – including Finns – will be monitoring these ships. He said that Estonia had detained another “shadow fleet” tanker, Kiwala, in April and would not back down.
Michal’s comments come as Russia receives an estimated 60% of its oil revenues via shipments by the “shadow fleet” to buyers in countries such as China and India. The vessels often have opaque ownership structures and sail without top-tier Western insurance and safety certification.
The Estonian Prime Minister said that Russia should be limited from selling products on the world market, and expressed concern over the ongoing war with Ukraine. He urged NATO allies to boost defence spending, with Estonia pledging at least 5% of GDP for defence.
Michal also hopes that US President Donald Trump will raise the threat of new sanctions during a planned call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, adding that he believes the pressure is mounting.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/estonian-pm-vows-keep-up-checks-russias-shadow-fleet-2025-05-18