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Russian Su-35 Violates Estonian Airspace During Shadow Fleet Tanker Incident
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![Photo of Lucile Brizard]( "Photo of Lucile Brizard")
Russian forces scrambled a Su-35S fighter jet to provide cover for the tanker JAGUAR, part of the Russian shadow fleet , after it entered Estonian airspace in the Gulf of Finland, Estonian officials reported on May 14.
The tanker, sailing under the flag of Gabon, was en route to the Russian port of Primorsk.
The Estonian Navy attempted to detain the vessel, which was navigating through international waters. Authorities deployed an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter, an M28 Skytruck aircraft, and the EML Raju patrol boat to intercept the tanker.
Estonian officials demanded the crew change course, but the tanker did not comply. JAGUAR eventually anchored near the island of Gogland in the eastern Baltic Sea.
During the incident, the Russian Su-35S fighter jet reportedly lacked two-way radio communication with Estonian air traffic control, according to the Estonian Ministry of Defense.
The response to the airspace violation included Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighters stationed in Emari, who are tasked with protecting the Baltic airspace.
On April 11, the Estonian Navy detained the tanker Kiwala, also linked to the Russian shadow fleet, which transports crude oil and petroleum products from Russia to third countries.
Veiko Kommusaar, head of the Finnish Border Guard Department’s border service, noted, “Over the past year, a lot of vessels have appeared in the Gulf of Finland that are passing without documents. And we can safely say that this is part of the shadow fleet.”
Earlier, the European Union blacklisted 189 vessels from Russia’s “shadow fleet” as part of its latest sanctions targeting Kremlin oil revenues, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on May 14.
