0 $
2,500 $
5,000 $
100 $
JUNE 2025

State-Sponsored Piracy? Estonia’s NATO-Backed Interception of Tanker Sparks Outrage

Support SouthFront

State-Sponsored Piracy? Estonia’s NATO-Backed Interception of Tanker Sparks Outrage

Click to see full-size image

A disturbing incident in the Baltic Sea has raised concerns over what appears to be an act of maritime piracy by Estonia and NATO forces. On May 13, Estonian military vessels, supported by NATO aircraft, attempted to forcibly detain the Gabon-flagged tanker Jaguar with Russian crew, which was en route to the Russian port of Primorsk with a commercial cargo. The ship was in international waters, yet Estonian authorities, citing EU sanctions and domestic legislation, moved to intercept it.

Crew members reported that Estonian patrol boats “Rajuu” and “Kurvits” boat, along with PZL M28 and MiG-29 aircraft, approached the tanker and ordered it to stop and drop anchor. When the crew refused, the Estonian forces threatened to ram the vessel and attempted to deploy armed personnel via helicopter.

Despite the intimidation, the tanker’s captain maintained course. The situation escalated until a Russian Su-35S fighter jet arrived to the scene, prompting the Estonian ships and aircraft to retreat. However, Estonian officials quickly accused Russia of “violating their airspace” and summoned the Russian chargé d’affaires to deliver a formal protest.

State-Sponsored Piracy? Estonia’s NATO-Backed Interception of Tanker Sparks Outrage

Click to see full-size image

 

 

Notably, the operation involved NATO assets, a Polish MiG-29 and a Portuguese F-16 (stationed in Estonia) took off in response to the Russian jet. Estonian media claimed the Su-35 had its transponder off and did not file a flight plan—a standard practice for military aircraft during such incidents.

This is not the first time Estonia has targeted commercial vessels under the pretext of enforcing sanctions. On April 11, the Djibouti-flagged tanker Kiwala was unlawfully detained, holding a Chinese citizen and 23 Mauritian crew members before eventually being released. Conclusion: The Need for Stronger Maritime Security

Under NATO’s umbrella, Tallinn feels emboldened to escalate further, even to the point of piracy in international waters. NATO members are willing to harass civilian ships under false pretenses, effectively engaging in state-sponsored piracy. Only military deterrence works—the Su-35’s presence alone forced Estonia to back down. If the West tolerates such actions by its allies, it risks normalizing maritime lawlessness—a dangerous precedent for global trade.

MORE ON THE TOPIC:

Support SouthFront

SouthFront

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
43 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Душан Мирић

let me quote us “apache” gunship pilot in infamous footage from afghanistan: “kill them all”.

hash
hashed
Arrest pm

russia issues arrest warrant for estonian pm

Giovanni delle Bande Nere

an eye for an eye. pirates should be blinded by lasers.

hash
hashed
Mariusz.Misa@ts.Fujitsu.com

if you ship sanctioned oil under false bandera then why are you surprised that border guards tried to stop you? 💁🏿🪆

hash
failed
Oreshnik up Ukrainazias Ass

why would you be surprised that russia will defend itself even if that means the death of absolutely everything???

Annon

grow up .are you on dime substance ir a self destruct fantasy trip looking for other s with the same compulsion apparently misery lives company on troll patrol.

White Gandalf

why should russians care for sanctions of the west – as long as the west did never ever care for sanctions of the rest of the world? the west has accumulated such a tremendous amount of negative karma in this regard, they will need a millennium of abiding behavior to fend it off. the history is full of examples of their ignorance against un resolutions.

Annon

fthe un are the most dirty of them all allegedly .

Marco

de quel droit contrôler un navire en zone internationale.

Oreshnik up Ukrainazias Ass

take estonia out altogether, fuck nato paedo article 5!!! if they want a war of annihalation then let’s give them a war of annihalation!!!

Niccolo Machiavelli

in estonia’s case that would take all of 60 seconds….

Annon

exactly being used by big brother who wouldn’t give a flying f *** if estonia got nuked would laugh imo .but putins not stupid enough to please them.

Patrick

ah yes, democracy and all that nonsense they keep talking about

hash
hashed
Annon

do you want to kneel for the king or die for pharoah or just sing ava maria?

willy hillbilly

americunt chihuahua back down always

hash
hashed
Pirate estonia

estonia stopping russian trade ships and trying to make full blockage of 100 russian trade ships.

estonia do not want russia make trade and make money.

this is modern life pirate and threat for russian economy.

the sea is not belong to estonia

hash
hashed
Last edited 20 days ago by Pirate estonia
Warships

estonia warships are best

WillieBrennan

that’s a “warship”?

lolololololololol

aamater

rusko by malo takéto incidenty začať riešiť silou!!! už tých provokácii bolo veľa. svetu mier!!!

hash
hashed
the poof

as medvedev suggested some time back withdrawing diplomatic mission staff from hostile state actors would be a prudent move. if that had happened, these baltic bums would have no chargé d’affaires to summons, and that would be – check.

hash
hashed
White Gandalf

well: if the harassed ship belonged to the usa and the incident would have happened even on the other side of the planet, the usa would send a carrier strike group and bombard the culprit back into stone age. at least they would try. i wonder how the russians can endure that behavior so long without retaliation..

hash
hashed
Tiger

no. the usa always tugs tail, lots of american and british ships went down in and aroudn the red sea, also usa does not really has a merceant fleet, they depend on other people to haul for them.

protectourfreedumbs

russia should round up these pirates from the shitty little nazi postage stamp fake country called estonia and make them walk the plank.

hash
hashed
Annon

putins not a child

the narrative

definition : shadow tanker = a ship or boat not insured by london banker mafias

hash
hashed
Poopshie

estonia has lost its mind, high on nato coke or something… it’s like they think consequences can be avoided while their energy costs tripled…

hash
hashed
japie

from now on all russian oil tankers for friends and russia will be escort.

hash
hashed
japie

russia neighbouring surrounding countries which france and britain force to prevent russia air movement or over fly has created self destruction.any military threat to russia will result in immediate flyover.

Last edited 19 days ago by japie
japie

remember threat to russia will cause your airspace and your freedom total violation by russia bullet,missile and jets whether you like it or not.so you better be cautious and cooperative.don’t ply with fire.

japie

if france believe if their intercept its not piracy but if others does.if britain think that if their warships flow close to other countries beaches then it is freedom of movement. but if other countries does is wrong and infiltration. then let the situation give alternatives.

Russian ship

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.

hash
hashed
Russian ship

an estonian agustawestland aw139 helicopter, m28 skytruck aircraft, and a russian su-35 fighter jet were observed over the jaguar ship on may 14, 2025, in the gulf of finland. (source: russian media)

Russian ship

estonian navy detained the tanker kiwala, also linked to the russian shadow fleet

Russian ship

england blacklisted 189 vessels from russia’s “shadow fleet” as part of its latest sanctions targeting kremlin oil revenues and very angry to micotakis,greek prime minister because these old greek ships sold to russia by greece government

Spiderman

in 10 years they will drink oil and eat gaz cause russia economy in great shape a package of butter only cost 25 euros

hash
hashed
Annon

course england wants a 100 year war they’ve said it straight out have you amnesia shott term memory loss or jusf like playing dumb bunny ?

hash
hashed
SovietRus´

nuke tallin, riga and vilnius… goodbye baltic dwarfs… nato is a paper tiger!

hash
hashed
Dick Von D'Astard

miinisadam naval base (‘mine harbor’ naval base) is a naval base at tallinn bay, tallinn.[1] the base is used since 1994 by estonian navy. besides estonian vessels the base accommodates also nato countries’ vessels.[2]

hash
hashed
kotromanic

who is surprised nato and eu are training the anti russia blockade since multiple years and have managed to persuade the world that ships with an insurance that is not from a western country are illegal. russai does not want to learn no matter if the tzars the sowjets or the federation they are not even able to comprehend the level of dirty play the west will use routinely at any second and feeling perfectly reasonable doing it.

hash
hashed
SovietRus´

russia don´t want a war against europe, but europeans are psychotic.. 15 minutes and europe will be gone… us will be the cowards they are and go away… russia should low the threshold for using nukes and rearm itself (specially with tactical nuclear warheads)… estonia will be gone in 5 minutes (a shitty country that never should exist in the first place!)

Boss

nothing would happen to you and the other russians, they would stay here to sow seeds, even because the russians are vaccinated against radiation… go eat another ice cream with your forehead and put the bombs in your insane asshole

Aragorn

if “nukes” existed, all “satan” missiles should be in the air for to cut the head of the snake, “us”. but there have never existed any “nukes”, hiroshima and nagasaki was the same as witch burning, but with the use of napalm. einstein was insane, but lucrative for nazis, “us”.

43
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x