On Wednesday, the Estonian Navy attempted to interdict the Gabon-flagged vessel JAGUAR, which was en route to Primorsk, a port located on Russia’s Baltic Sea coast.
The Russian news outlet Izvestia published video footage of the incident. In the video, Estonian naval forces can be seen attempting to direct the JAGUAR toward Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, where authorities would have had jurisdiction to detain the vessel.
Alongside Estonian naval vessels and a helicopter, a Polish Air Force MiG-29 was also reportedly deployed. The JAGUAR refused to alter its course or exit international waters. In response, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet arrived to escort the tanker, which ultimately continued its journey to Primorsk.
This is not the first such incident involving NATO member states and vessels linked to Russia. On April 11, the Estonian Navy detained the Djibouti-flagged ship KIWALA, which was also heading toward Russia.
Last year, the Finnish Navy intercepted the Cook Islands-flagged tanker EAGLE, which was transporting Russian oil. The vessel was suspected of damaging an underwater power cable between Finland and Estonia, but a subsequent investigation cleared EAGLE of any wrongdoing.
In April, Estonia passed legislation authorizing its navy to use force against foreign vessels under certain conditions. Since Sweden and Finland joined NATO in 2022, Estonian officials have increasingly discussed the potential for blocking Russian maritime access in the Baltic Sea.
In October, Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a warning over alleged plans by Estonia and Finland to restrict Russian shipping in the region. Two months later, a summit of NATO’s Joint Expeditionary Force concluded with an agreement to increase patrols aimed at curbing what officials describe as Russia’s "shadow fleet"—a network of ships allegedly used to bypass Western sanctions.
As of now, the Russian government has not issued an official statement regarding Wednesday’s incident.