Russian Navy Steals Estonian Buoy, Drags It to Kaliningrad

The Russian Navy has seized a research buoy belonging to Estonia’s Institute of Marine Systems.

Estonian scientists tracked the buoy’s trajectory and determined that it had been taken to Kaliningrad.

The buoy was initially located in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone, roughly 50 kilometers west of Hiiumaa Island.

The head of the Estonian Navy said he doubts Russia intended to test the Baltic states’ response and suggested Russian forces may have mistaken the 50-centimeter buoy for a navigational hazard.

The buoy, developed by Tallinn University of Technology’s Institute of Marine Systems (TalTech), was used to measure wave parameters. Although not in Estonian territorial waters, the exclusive economic zone grants Estonia the right to conduct such activities.

“The buoy was in Estonia’s economic zone. These are not territorial waters, but Estonia has the right to carry out various activities there,” said the director of the Institute of Marine Systems Rivo Uiboupin.

The incident occurred between April 26 and 28. According to the institute, the buoy’s movement during this time did not correspond to natural drift patterns. The institute alerted Estonia’s Maritime Operations Center and requested assistance from a Latvian naval vessel operating nearby.

“Our own ships weren’t in the area at that time. The Latvian Navy didn’t detect the buoy, but it helped us compare the buoy’s movement with that of Russian naval ships,” said Ivo Värk, Commander of the Estonian Navy.

Two Russian corvettes, operating with their automatic identification systems turned off, were reportedly present in the area during the incident.

Värk noted that the ships had been conducting routine patrols for several weeks.

By the time the Latvian vessel reached the area, the buoy had already been transported to Kaliningrad, where it was later located at the Baltic Fleet headquarters.

“We received a GPS signal. You can see on the map how the buoy moves: first to the port, then to a military facility,” said Uiboupin.
Despite the loss, the Institute of Marine Systems plans to reinstall a new buoy at the same location next week.

Recently, Russian authorities detained a Greek-owned oil tanker en route from Estonia to Rotterdam. The tanker, operated by Aegean Shipping, was carrying shale oil and had departed from an Estonian port.