Estonia warns Russia may use military force to defend its shadow fleet of tankers dodging sanctions

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — Estonia warned connected Thursday that Russia appears consenting to support with subject unit its shadiness fleet of aging tankers dodging planetary sanctions to support lipid gross and instrumentality flowing, adjacent done the territorial waters of European countries.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that a Russian combatant pitchy entered NATO airspace successful caller days aft Estonia’s navy had intercepted a suspected shadiness fleet vessel successful its waters.

Tsahkna said the navy stopped the ship, the Jaguar, due to the fact that it was flying nary emblem and seemingly had nary insurance. The Russian warplane appeared connected the country portion the vessel was stopped.

“This combatant pitchy violated NATO territory, for 1 minute. This is thing precise new,” helium told reporters astatine a NATO gathering successful Antalya, Turkey. He said that NATO craft scrambled to intercept the Russian fighter.

“We request to recognize that Russia has officially tied and connected itself to the Russian shadiness fleet,” Tsahkna said, and underlined the value of aerial patrols implicit the Baltic Sea, saying that “we request to recognize that the concern is truly serious.”

The shadiness fleet is made up of aging tankers bought used, often by nontransparent entities with addresses successful non-sanctioning countries specified arsenic the United Arab Emirates oregon the Marshall Islands, and flagged successful places similar Gabon oregon the Cook Islands.

Some of the vessels are owned by the Russian authorities Sovcomflot shipping company. Their relation is to assistance Russia’s lipid exporters debar the $60 per tube terms headdress imposed by Ukraine’s allies.

The European Union has been targeting the ships, which sometimes besides transportation stolen Ukrainian grain, with sanctions. In February, 70 vessels believed to beryllium portion of the shadiness fleet were added to much than 50 already listed.

EU overseas ministers are expected adjacent week to slap sanctions connected dozens more.