Tanker of Russian "shadow fleet" Kiwala detained by Estonian Navy. PHOTOS
On the morning of Friday, April 11, the Estonian Navy detained the tanker Kiwala, a vessel from Russia's "shadow fleet" that exports Russian crude oil and oil products to third countries.
This is reported by ERR, Censor.NET reports.
The commander of the Estonian Navy, Ivo Värk, noted that the detention was not related to suspicions of a threat to critical infrastructure.
Estonia began preparing for the operation on Thursday evening, and the operation itself began at 3am. At 4:19 a.m., the Kiwala tanker entered Estonian waters. According to MarineTraffic, the vessel is now east of Aegna Island, with two warships alongside it.
The vessel was under sanctions in connection with its previous activities in the European Union and was heading to Ust-Luga. The tanker had no flag, and such vessels are not allowed to move.
During the detention, the technical condition of the vessel and the crew's documents were checked. A helicopter was involved in the operation.
There are 24 people on board the tanker. According to Estonian authorities, the captain of the vessel is a Chinese citizen who is cooperating with the investigation.
According to the Ukrainian portal WarSanctions, this is a vessel from the Russian shadow fleet, which exports Russian crude oil and oil products to third countries.
Recently, the vessel has been flying the flag of Djibouti.
