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Estonia warns Russia may use military force to defend its shadow tanker fleet

On May 13, 2025, a Russian Su-35 aircraft entered Estonian airspace near the Juminda Peninsula, leading NATO to deploy Portuguese F-16 jets based in Estonia in response.
This airspace violation occurred amid ongoing tensions involving Estonia's attempt to inspect a Russia-bound oil tanker, part of Russia's shadow fleet circumventing sanctions.
Estonian officials reported that the Russian aircraft flew with transponders off and ignored radio contact, while the Estonian Navy tried to detain the tanker named Jaguar, which refused to cooperate and sailed to Russian waters.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna reported that a Russian fighter jet briefly entered NATO airspace while monitoring Estonia’s navy as it sought to intercept an oil tanker bound for Russia. He emphasized that Russia is clearly connected to the shadow fleet and urged the alliance to impose stronger sanctions.
The incident heightened NATO and Estonia's military vigilance in the Baltic, underscoring ongoing regional tensions and the alliance's commitment to monitoring and responding to airspace and maritime security threats.

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