Estonian authorities have detained an oil tanker believed to be part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” preventing the vessel from continuing its journey until it addresses a wide range of legal and safety violations.
The vessel, named Kiwala, was stopped in the Gulf of Finland on Friday for a routine inspection. During the inspection, officials determined that the tanker is effectively stateless and presented significant safety and documentation concerns. Estonia’s Transport Administration identified 40 separate deficiencies on board—23 related to documentation and the remainder concerning the ship’s operational seaworthiness.
Kristjan Truu, head of the Maritime Department within the Transport Administration, stated that the ship would not be permitted to proceed until all issues were resolved. “We cannot allow the ship to continue its voyage because maritime and environmental safety cannot be guaranteed,” he said.
Although initial documents showed the tanker sailing under the flag of Djibouti, the East African nation later clarified that it had already de-registered the vessel. The Kiwala currently remains anchored in Muuga Bay, where it is under the watch of the Estonian Navy.
Estonian officials revealed that the tanker had been en route to the Russian port of Ust-Luga and is under sanctions imposed by multiple Western nations, including Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland. The vessel is suspected of being part of a fleet Russia uses to discreetly transport oil in an effort to bypass international sanctions tied to its ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The Estonian government has recently bolstered its maritime enforcement powers. Just two days before detaining the Kiwala, Estonia’s parliament approved new legislation granting its Defense Forces the authority to use force in the Baltic Sea to counter any vessel deemed a potential threat to national security.
The Kiwala’s crew reportedly includes 24 members, with the majority hailing from China and Mauritania. The ship’s captain is believed to be Chinese. Ukrainian monitoring group War & Sanctions previously reported that the vessel was once commanded by Sergei Kharchenko, linking it further to shadow shipping networks.
The Kiwala is currently owned by Tirad Shipping, a company registered in Mauritius. The firm has only this one vessel in its fleet, and the tanker itself has changed ownership multiple times, previously belonging to companies based in Turkey and India.
The seizure highlights growing concerns across Europe over maritime activities used to subvert sanctions regimes. Analysts suggest that Moscow has increasingly relied on a fleet of unflagged or questionably registered vessels to continue exporting oil and gas despite international restrictions.
Estonia’s decisive action sends a strong message regarding maritime compliance and its commitment to enforcing sanctions in response to geopolitical tensions in the region.
