2025年4月11日，爱沙尼亚海军在波罗的海海域扣押了一艘驶往俄罗斯的油轮"基瓦拉号"。

该轮在进入爱沙尼亚领海时既无有效船旗，又存在法律状态疑点。  

这艘自2024年2月起受欧盟制裁的油轮，被西方指控属于俄罗斯"影子船队"——该术语指莫斯科为规避国际制裁、逃避监管而运作的油轮编队。

此类船舶通常缺乏标准保险和注册，游离于传统海事体系之外。  

航运数据显示，"基瓦拉号"从印度锡卡港出发驶往俄罗斯乌斯季卢加港途中被拦截。

爱沙尼亚交通管理局称，该轮虽曾悬挂吉布提船旗，但吉方已否认其注册记录。  

爱沙尼亚总理克里斯滕·米哈尔在社交平台X（原推特）发文，强调爱方对波罗的海可疑船只"零容忍"。

欧盟此前已警示该轮采用高风险违规操作运输俄罗斯石油。  

行动负责人、爱沙尼亚交通管理局海事处处长克里斯蒂安·特鲁证实，船员及船长配合了执法。

扣押行动始于11日晚间，动用海军舰艇及直升机，至12日晨完成，现该轮锚泊于穆加湾，由两艘爱军战舰监视。  

海军司令伊沃·瓦克在记者会表示，行动旨在核查船舶文件合法性，与近期频发的海底基础设施破坏事件无关。

警察副总长兼边防局长韦科·科姆萨指出，过去一年波罗的海已出现多艘无证船只，疑为俄"影子船队"成员。  

外交部长马库斯·察赫克纳称此举具有里程碑意义，系爱方首次扣押影子船队船舶。

经查，船上24名船员包括一名中国籍船长。

该轮因缺乏有效证件和保险，已违反国际海事法。  

爱沙尼亚自去年起加强船舶检查，重点核查保险和注册合规性。

目前正等待吉布提当局确认船舶注册信息，调查仍在进行中，未发现环境损害或海底电缆受损情况。

▲Image for representation purposes only

英文原文

The Estonian Navy detained a Russia-bound oil tanker on April 11, 2025, after it entered the country’s territorial waters in the Baltic Sea without a valid national flag and with questionable legal status.

The vessel, named Kiwala, has been under European Union sanctions since February and is suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”

The term “shadow fleet” is used by Western nations to describe vessels that are used by Moscow to dodge international sanctions and move oil without proper oversight.

These ships often operate without standard insurance or registration and are not regulated by traditional maritime systems.

According to shipping data, Kiwala was on its way from the port of Sikka in India to the Russian port of Ust-Luga when it was intercepted by Estonian authorities.

The vessel was initially flying the flag of Djibouti, but officials from the Estonian Transport Authority stated that Djibouti had denied registering the ship.

Estonia’s Prime Minister, Kristen Michal, shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that a sanctioned vessel with no flag had been detained.

He added that Estonia takes any suspicious maritime activity in the Baltic Sea very seriously.

The EU had earlier flagged Kiwala for using high-risk and irregular shipping practices to transport Russian oil.

Kristjan Truu, Director of the Maritime Division at the Estonian Transport Authority, confirmed that the crew and the ship’s master cooperated during the operation.

He also said that the detention was carried out over suspicions that the ship lacked a valid flag state.

Naval ships and helicopters were involved in the coordinated operation, which began on Thursday evening and concluded on Friday morning as the vessel entered Estonian waters.

It is now anchored in Muuga Bay, with two Estonian warships positioned nearby.

Estonian Naval Commander Ivo Vark explained at a press briefing that the main objective of the detention was to verify the ship’s documents and legal status.

He made it clear that the operation was not connected to any damage to subsea infrastructure, which is a growing concern in the Baltic region.

Veiko Kommusaar, Deputy Chief of Police and head of the Estonian Border guard, mentioned that over the past year, several undocumented ships have appeared in the Baltic Sea.

According to him, these vessels are likely part of Russia’s shadow fleet, designed to bypass international monitoring and regulations.

The Estonian Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, discussed the importance of this action, calling it the first time Estonia has detained a shadow fleet vessel.

The crew of Kiwala consisted of 24 members, including a Chinese national serving as the Captain. The vessel’s lack of valid documentation and insurance means it was operating in violation of international maritime law.

Deputy Police Chief Kommusaar said that such ships are not legally allowed to sail without proof of registration and insurance.

Estonia has been actively inspecting vessels since last year to ensure compliance with insurance and registration rules, especially after regional concerns over sabotage to undersea infrastructure.

However, officials clarified that Kiwala’s detention is not related to those incidents.

As of now, the ship remains under investigation while Estonia awaits confirmation from Djibouti regarding the vessel’s registration claims.

No environmental harm or damage to undersea cables has been reported.

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