Under Western sanctions, Russia increasingly relies on aging, foreign-flagged tankers in its shadow fleet, facing frequent technical failures and posing growing environmental and security risks, with these unregulated vessels also linked to the Baltic Sea sabotage.
The vessel, reportedly operating under the flag of Djibouti, was caught not flying any flag, violating maritime law; although the crew provided a flag certificate, Djibouti's naval authority stated it could not find the Kiwala in its national registry, according to Euronews.
During the detention, Estonia's Department of Transportation has been checking the vessel's technical condition, insurance, and crew documentation. There are 24 people aboard the tanker, with a Chinese national serving as the captain."It's no secret that over the past year, many vessels have appeared in the Gulf of Finland without proper documentation. We can confidently say these are part of the shadow fleet," Deputy Director General of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) Veiko Kommusaar said, according to ERR.
Two more ships carrying Russian oil sinking in Pacific and BalticEuronews says Kommusaar added:
"Ships like this are actually not allowed to operate. Estonia exercised its right to detain the vessel for inspection."Kiwala, which was en route from the Indian port of Sikka to the Russian port of Ust-Luga, is currently under sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union due to previous illegal activities.
Russia’s € 80 billion shadow oil trade operates through 387 tankers, intelligence saysAccording to the Ukrainian portal WarSanctions cited by Militarnyi, the Kiwala tanker, part of Russia's shadow fleet, exports crude oil and petroleum products from Russia to third countries, with its owners and operators regularly changing to avoid direct connections with Russia and conceal the true recipients.
Andrii Klymenko, editor-in-chief of Black Sea News and head of the Black Sea Strategic Research Institute project, told Militarnyi that Baltic countries are currently seeking legal methods to influence the Russian shadow fleet passing near their shores, as these vessels transport large volumes of oil and petroleum products from Russian Baltic ports, generating significant profits for the war against Ukraine, while their poor technical condition raises concerns about potential environmental disasters in the event of an accident."The vessel had no flag. It's a flagless vessel. Such vessels essentially shouldn't be moving. Estonia exercised its right to detain it for inspection," Kommusaar explained.
Germany confiscates Russian “shadow fleet” tanker with $ 43 million of oilAccording to Klymenko, the sanctions imposed on the vessel do not allow for detention even in territorial waters, only prohibiting it from entering ports, and he noted that Western countries need to include a specific provision in sanctions against Russia's "shadow fleet" to address this issue.
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- UK PM Starmer says sanctions on Russia should increase, not weaken
