Russia Frees Greek Tanker Amid Tensions Over Baltic Sea Oil Transport

On Sunday, Russia freed a Greek-owned oil tanker that had been held in its territorial waters after departing from an Estonian port, according to information from Estonian public broadcaster ERR on Tuesday.

The Liberia-flagged vessel, Green Admire, seemed to have exited the Gulf of Finland and entered the Baltic Sea, with its destination reported as Rotterdam in the Netherlands, according to a Reuters analysis of LSEG ship tracking data.

The tanker had departed from the Sillamae port in Estonia, navigating through a designated channel that passes through Russian waters, leading to its detention, as stated by the Estonian Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

Estonia’s foreign minister suggested that Russia’s actions regarding the Green Admire were likely a reaction to an initiative by the Estonian navy aimed at inspecting tankers that transport large quantities of Russian oil via the Baltic Sea.