Estonia Detains Container Ship Baltic Spirit En Route to St. Petersburg

Estonia has detained the Bahamas-flagged container ship Baltic Spirit in the Gulf of Finland while it was sailing to St. Petersburg, according to Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR.

Police special forces from the K-Commando unit boarded the vessel, detained the ship, and took control of its 23 crew members. All crew members were Russian nationals.

The operation involved around 50 personnel from several Estonian authorities, including the Police and Border Guard Board, the Transport Administration, the State Fleet, and the Tax and Customs Board.

The operation was supported at sea by the navy vessels Raju and Admiral Cowan, as well as the State Fleet pilot boat Ahto. A Police and Border Guard Board rescue helicopter provided aerial support.

Representatives of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board noted that Baltic Spirit is not part of the Russian Federation’s shadow fleet and is not subject to European Union sanctions. The main reason for the detention was suspected links to smuggling.

An investigation is currently underway to establish all the details.

It is worth noting that the vessel was traveling from Ecuador to St. Petersburg, Russia, when Estonian authorities stopped it. The container ship entered Estonia’s territorial waters to refuel. At the time of the initial customs inspection, the vessel was anchored at an official anchorage.

It should also be noted that this was Estonia’s first operation at this scale. It involved multiple authorities, special forces, aviation, and naval assets to seize the vessel.

Estonia’s activity in the Gulf of Finland has increased sharply following a series of incidents involving underwater infrastructure, including damage to the Balticconnector gas pipeline in 2023.

At the time, suspicion fell on the Chinese vessel Newnew Polar Bear, but Estonian forces did not board the ship due to legal restrictions and the vessel’s presence in neutral waters.

In addition, Finnish company Cinia later reported problems with its communications cable on the floor of the Baltic Sea. Suspicion then fell on the Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3.

It was later determined that the vessel had been operating under instructions from Russian intelligence.