Estonia Grounds Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Over 40 Safety Violations

Estonian authorities announced on Saturday that they will not permit an oil tanker, suspected to be part of Russia’s «shadow fleet,» to continue its journey until various legal and safety concerns are addressed.

The Kiwala tanker was held on Friday in the Gulf of Finland for a document inspection, which revealed that the vessel lacks a nationality. Two days prior, the Estonian parliament enacted legislation allowing the national Defense Forces to use force against ships in the Baltic Sea deemed a threat to national security.

Kristjan Truu, the head of the Maritime Department of the Transport Administration, reported identifying 40 issues with the tanker, 23 of which related to its documentation, while the remaining concerns were about its seaworthiness.

«We cannot permit the vessel to proceed with its journey because we cannot ensure maritime and environmental safety,» he stated.

During the initial inspection, documents suggested that the Kiwala was flagged under Djibouti, but the East African nation swiftly clarified that it had de-registered the tanker.

The ship is currently anchored in Muuga Bay and is being monitored by the Estonian Navy.

Officials noted that the Kiwala is under sanctions from Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom and was headed to the Russian port of Ust-Luga.

Security experts indicate that Russia is operating a «shadow fleet» consisting of numerous vessels attempting to evade sanctions imposed on its oil exports due to the conflict in Ukraine.

Veiko Kommusaars, head of the Estonian border guard, revealed that the tanker’s captain is Chinese, and the crew of 24 is primarily from China or Mauritania. The Ukrainian sanctions-monitoring platform War & Sanctions pointed out that the Kiwala was previously captained by an individual named Sergei Kharchenko.

The vessel is owned by Tirad Shipping, a company registered in Mauritius, which exclusively operates the Kiwala. Prior owners included Turkish and Indian shipping companies.