Estonia tried to detain Russian "shadow fleet" tanker as Su-35 violated airspace – media. VIDEO
Estonian authorities have revealed details of an incident that occurred on 13 May, when a Russian Su-35 fighter jet violated the country’s airspace. Russia briefly scrambled an aircraft as the Estonian Navy attempted to detain a "shadow fleet" oil tanker.
This is reported by Reuters, Censor.NET reports.
Estonia stated on Thursday that Moscow scrambled a fighter jet into NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea during an attempt to stop a Russian oil tanker believed to be part of a "shadow fleet" bypassing Western sanctions on Moscow.
"The Russian Federation sent a fighter jet to assess the situation, and that jet entered NATO territory for nearly one minute. Russia is clearly willing to defend its 'shadow fleet'... The situation is indeed serious," said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna.
A video was published online, allegedly showing fragments of the incident. It was reportedly filmed from aboard the tanker by one of the crew members.
The Estonian Navy stated that the ship Jaguar, sailing without a flag and added to the UK sanctions list last week, refused to cooperate when asked to stop for an inspection of its documentation and legal status. As a result, it was escorted to Russian waters.
According to Reuters, the Estonian Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the incident.
Meanwhile, on 14 May, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna wrote on social media platform X that sanctions must be imposed against Russia.
"…Russia has clearly aligned itself with the shadow fleet — a threat that must be met with tougher and faster sanctions," he added.
On Tuesday evening, 13 May, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet violated Estonian airspace near the Juminda Peninsula.
