Estonia releases Kiwala tanker after safety violations resolved

Estonia released the Russian oil tanker Kiwala after detaining it earlier this month for multiple safety and regulatory violations, including expired registration, lack of valid insurance, and inadequate crew training. The Kiwala, believed to be part of Russia’s so-called 'shadow fleet' used to circumvent international sanctions, was allowed to continue to the Russian port of Ust-Luga once authorities confirmed that the tanker had addressed over 40 deficiencies identified during inspection. Estonian officials highlighted ongoing concerns about the reliability of flag-of-convenience registers and the challenges in communicating with such countries. The incident underscores heightened efforts by Estonia and neighboring Baltic nations to monitor and intercept shadow fleet vessels amid increased tensions and suspicions of Russian sabotage in regional waters.