Russia Vows to Defend Its Ships in Baltic Sea

By Bloomberg New (Bloomberg) —

Russia will defend its vessels in the Baltic Sea by all legal means, the Kremlin said, days after briefly deploying a fighter jet as Estonian officials tried to halt a so-called shadow fleet tanker in their economic zone.

“A fairly wide range of means is available; of course, within the framework of international law,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday, according to Russian media reports. “As recent events related to an attempted pirate attack on one of the tankers have shown, Russia has demonstrated it is capable of responding quite harshly.” 

The comments come as Baltic nations grow increasingly concerned about the activity of vessels that haul Russian barrels overseas, a key revenue source for the government in Moscow. They’re worried these ships could cause security breaches, damage power and internet cables and create environmental risks due to their age and insurance cover from lesser-known companies. 

Since the vessels didn’t sail under a Russian flag, the government in Moscow has so far refrained from direct intervention or comment. However, last week a Russian jet briefly entered NATO airspace as the Estonian navy tried to inspect a tanker sailing with a Russian oil cargo.

Over the weekend, Russia also detained a vessel carrying shale oil from an Estonian port. The ship continued its journey only after two days of being anchored near a Baltic island controlled by Russia.

Baltic leaders have vowed to crack down on shadow fleet tankers in their waters, checking their insurance policies and compliance with international regulations. Several such vessels have been detained by authorities in Germany, Finland and Estonia in recent months. 

Earlier on Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says a sanctioned Russian ship was performing “suspicious maneuvers” near the power cable connecting Poland and Sweden. The tanker left for a Russian port after “effective intervention by our military,” he added.

While Russia has all but lost the European oil market, Baltic ports remain critical to ship crude and oil products to the region for onward deliveries to Asia and Latin America. 

© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.

Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights

Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update

— trusted by our 109,053 members