Russia Briefly Detains Cargo Ship Bound for Estonia

A small cargo ship sailing from Sweden to Estonia was briefly detained by the Russian authorities for an inspection late on Wednesday, September 30, into Thursday, October 1. The Estonian Broadcasting Corporation (ERR) reported the situation and received confirmation from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.

The Västerbotten (6,800 dwt) has been owned and operated by a German company since 2013, and according to its AIS track, it was sailing from Monsteras, Sweden, bound for Sillamäe, Estonia, when it was intercepted and stopped for an inspection. The tracking shows the ship making sharp turns and changing course. The ship, which was built in 2008, is registered in Cyprus.

The Estonian Transport Administration told ERR that it had not received an explanation from the Russian authorities. It can only speculate as to why the vessel was detained and inspected. 

Route of the past 24 hours showing turns as the vessel was stopped for an inspection by Russian authorities (Vessel Finder)

The ship’s route is along an internationally recognized corridor and one that Russia, Estonia, and Finland agreed to. It is used by ships to avoid some of the dangers of the coastal waters in Estonia, but in places it skirts and enters the Russian zone. Sillamäe, the authorities noted, is a rarely used port, and it is located close to Russia.

The interception appears to have happened as the vessel approached or entered Russian waters. The news outlet EA Daily speculates the ship was taking the shortest available route. It would have saved about 4.5 miles and 40 minutes of sailing time, they write. Instead, it reports the ship was detained about six miles from the Estonian border.