Recently, a tense event happened in the Baltic Sea. Estonia, a small country in NATO, tried to stop an oil tanker called the Jaguar. The Jaguar flies the flag of Gabon and was sailing in international waters. The ship had left an Indian port called Sikka and was going to the Russian port of Primorsk. Primorsk is near St. Petersburg.
The Estonian Navy, with help from NATO aircraft, tried to stop the tanker. The operation used patrol boats, a helicopter, an aircraft, and two MiG-29 fighter jets from Poland. As the Jaguar sailed through the Gulf of Finland, Estonia wanted the tanker to leave international waters and head to an Estonian port. The goal was to check the ship and possibly detain it.
The crew of the Jaguar did not agree. They kept sailing their course. When the Estonians kept chasing the ship, a Russian fighter jet, a Su-35, arrived. The Russian jet scared off the Polish fighters. It then flew with the Jaguar and protected it as it moved into Russian waters.
This Russian fighter jet’s presence stopped the Estonians from trying to catch the Jaguar again. The Estonian military did not try to seize the ship or change its course after that.
Estonia tells a different story. General Vahur Karus, chief of Estonia’s armed forces, said the navy only wanted to check the ship’s papers and insurance. He said there was no plan to seize the Jaguar. But video footage shows that an Estonian patrol boat tried to ram the tanker. The footage also shows radio calls telling the tanker to change course and go to an Estonian port.
In April, Estonia’s parliament passed a law. This law allows Estonia to sink ships they think are dangerous. The law aims to protect important parts of the country, like underwater cables in the Baltic Sea. Estonia calls these cables “important objects.” This law gives the military more power over ships near Estonia.
A few days after the Jaguar event, Estonia briefly stopped another tanker named Koala. The Koala was also going to a Russian port called Duga. Estonia said it was checking the Koala’s papers and its status under EU sanctions.
In late 2024, Finland detained a ship called Eagle S. The ship flew the flag of the Cook Islands. Finnish police said the ship might have damaged an undersea cable called the ES Link 2. The police also claimed the ship was part of Russia’s “shadow oil tanker fleet.” Two months later, Finland released the Eagle S for lack of evidence. This hurt Finland’s reputation as a reliable law enforcer.
Why is Estonia doing this? The Gulf of Finland has a six-mile wide area of international waters. This corridor links Russian ports to the open sea. But the Gulf is not easy to navigate, and its geography clashes with international maritime law.
Maritime law is very important. It helps keep trade and shipping safe worldwide. But in the Gulf of Finland, geography causes legal problems. Estonia and Finland agreed in 1994 to keep this six-mile corridor open to all countries. They made this promise in a treaty.
According to maritime law, Estonia and Finland must allow ships to pass to Russian ports. This is like a land rule called “servitude.” It means if your land is surrounded, neighbors must allow you access. This rule applies at sea too.
Russia tried to make this legal in the 1990s by filing a case in London. But the case never moved forward. Russian leaders then did not push it.
Estonia and Finland created the six-mile international zone on their own. In 2023, Estonia increased its economic zone to 24 nautical miles without permission. This made the six-mile corridor part of Estonia’s waters. Estonia now says it controls the corridor.
Estonia’s parliament also gave its military the power to use force on ships they find suspicious. This is likely aimed at Russian ships.
Russia does not accept Estonia’s claims. Estonia relies on NATO’s protection. It has two NATO bases and a missile system called Blue Spear 5G. The missile system can reach Russian ports like St. Petersburg. But Estonia’s military is small. It is more about Estonia’s pride and trying to provoke Russia.
Other countries near the Baltic Sea, like Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland, do not want big operations against Russia’s oil tankers. The EU says it does not have enough ships or planes for a big mission in the Baltic.
Robert Brieger, head of the EU military committee, said they need five to ten ships for such a mission. He said the EU currently lacks the resources.
The Russian fighter jet appearing near the Jaguar showed Estonia and Poland they cannot act freely. The Estonian ships and Polish jets quickly left.
There are two ways forward. One, tensions cool down. Europe could push Estonia to stop these actions and agree to the legal rules about the Gulf of Finland. Two, Russia might increase its naval patrols in the Gulf. This could raise the risk of accidents.
Both choices have risks. The Gulf of Finland is a key route for Russian trade. The situation needs careful handling.