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In the early morning hours of April 11th, the Estonian Navy and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board intercepted the oil tanker Kiwala, which belongs to Russia's shadow fleet, in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea. The captain and some of the crew are Chinese.
The vessel had arrived from India's port of Sikka and was heading eastward. Estonian Navy Commander Ivo Värk stated at a press conference held at the Ministry of Defense that the vesse 's intended destination was the Russian port of Ust-Luga.
The tanker was sailing within Estonia's exclusive economic zone and was redirected into Estonian territorial waters. Estonia exercised its authority to detain and inspect the ship . "The vessel is currently anchored in Muuga Bay . The purpose of the detention is to verify the ship 's documentation and legal status . The detention and ongoing investigations are not related in any way to damage to critical infrastructure, and competent authorities are conducting the inspection onboard," Värk added.
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There were suspicions that the vessel lacked both a flag state registration and valid insurance, and that it was , among other concerns, subject to European Union sanctions due to illegal activities.
Kristjan Truu, Director of Maritime Services at Estonia's Transport Administration, explained that their agency is presently conducting a technical inspection of the tanker. "We are naturally verifying whether the vessel has a flag state responsible for its technical condition, maritime safety, and crew welfare."
Veiko Kommusaar, Deputy Director General responsible for border management at the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board , remarked that it is no secret that the number of undocumented vessels sailing through the Gulf of Finland has significantly increased over the past year. "We can confidently say this is part of a shadow fleet trafficking prohibited goods in the Baltic Sea. This tanker is precisely such a case," he noted . "A vessel without a flag should not be sailing at all," Kommusaar emphasized.
Estonia received information regarding the tanker Thursday evening. The operation commenced at 3:00 AM, and by 4:19 AM, Kiwala had entered Estonian territorial waters. A helicopter was also employed by the Police and Border Guard Board during the operation. According to Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro, the decision to detain the Russia-bound tanker Kiwala was based on a risk assessment, and the ship had been under extended surveillance prior to detention.
There are 24 third-country nationals onboard. The captain is a Chinese citizen, and the rest of the crew are presumed to be citizens of Myanmar. The captain is reported to be cooperative. The vessel will remain detained until all technical deficiencies have been addressed.
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Estonian Interior Minister Igor Taro added that the police special operations unit boarded the vessel from another ship . According to Minister Taro, certain indicators suggest the tanker may belong to Russia’s shadow fleet. "When a ship has an unclear flag status or sails without a flag, heads towards Ust-Luga, and has insurance-related irregularities, these signs sufficiently indicate that it 's part of the shadow fleet."
At present, the vessel lacks a valid flag state , meaning it was not permitted to navigate at sea. During detention, authorities are examining the tanker's technical condition and the crew’s documentation.
At the time of reporting , Estonian officials had not yet confirmed the nationalities of the remaining crew, but they are presumed to be citizens of China or Myanmar.
Tirad Shipping Inc is a shell company registered in Mauritius, owning only one vessel —the sanctioned oil tanker Kiwala. The company is linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, involved in transporting crude oil and petroleum products to evade international sanctions. Tirad Shipping was likely established explicitly to manage this particular tanker, allowing concealment of beneficial ownership and circumvention of international restrictions.
Before Tirad Shipping's involvement, the tanker was associated with companies based in Turkey and India, also operating within the shadow fleet network . Previously, the tanker belonged to the Turkish company Unic Tanker Ship Management , which in 2023 acquired nine tankers from the Indian company Gatik Ship Management.
The company gained international attention following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent imposition of comprehensive Western sanctions on Russian oil exports . Gatik Ship Management 's role in this network was —and remains—substantial. It rapidly acquired and managed dozens of tankers employed in transporting Russian crude oil, evading international sanctions. Gatik purchased much of its fleet within a short period, often acquiring older vessels .
Many of these ships were later sold or transferred for management to other firms , such as Turkey’s Unic Tanker Ship Management. In summary, Gatik Ship Management exemplifies a typical pattern of sanctions evasion: a rapidly amassed fleet involved with Russian oil exports, frequently changing owners and operators, and operating under an opaque business model.
This makes the company a crucial component of the global shadow shipping network undermining international sanctions enforcement.