Russian Ship Violates Estonia Waters, Diplomatic Protest Issued

On July 26, a Russian border patrol ship entered Estonia’s territorial waters near the island of Vaindloo without permission and remained there for 35 minutes, violating Estonia’s State Border Act which requires foreign military vessels to notify the Estonian Foreign Ministry 48 hours in advance for innocent passage. The Estonian Navy monitored and identified the vessel, recording the breach, which prompted Estonia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon Russia's chargé d'affaires and deliver a formal diplomatic protest. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna condemned the incident as a serious and unacceptable violation of Estonia’s sovereignty. This event marks the fourth such occurrence in recent months involving Russian vessels from the so-called "shadow fleet" entering the Baltic Sea without registration or proper notification, including tankers sailing without flags or on sanctions lists. Additionally, Estonia has reported increased Russian electronic warfare activity near its borders, with new signal-jamming equipment deployed close to the town of Kingisepp, heightening regional security concerns.