A suspected “shadow fleet” vessel detained by Estonia has more than 40 “deficiencies,” and several are serious, the country’s Transport Administration said after an inspection.
The ship, which is currently anchored close to the capital Tallinn in Muuga Bay under naval surveillance, was detained on Friday morning while sailing to Russia. It will not be released until all issues are resolved, the authorities said.
“Inspectors from the Transport Administration conducted a full-day inspection and identified several significant deficiencies. We cannot allow the vessel to continue its voyage, as maritime and environmental safety cannot be guaranteed,” said Kristjan Truu, Director of the Maritime Department at the Estonian Transport Administration.
Of the 40 deficiencies found, 29 were deemed significant and formed the basis for detaining the vessel.
Twenty-three of those were documentation-related, while others concerned failures in the ship’s safety management system, crew emergency preparedness, and technical malfunctions.
Ship sailing without flag
A major concern, according to Truu, is the vessel’s apparent lack of a valid flag state. While Kiwala claimed Djibouti registration, the African country had withdrawn its flag due to previous illegal activity.
Operating without a flag leaves a vessel outside any national jurisdiction, violating international maritime norms.
“Estonia exercised its rights and international obligations to inspect a stateless vessel,” Truu said. “We are in constant contact with the shipowner’s representative and are hopeful for a swift resolution.”
The tanker entered the Gulf of Finland on April 10 without valid flag state certification or insurance. The vessel is also subject to sanctions imposed by the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, and Switzerland for past illicit conduct.
After entering Estonia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the ship was contacted and directed into Estonian territorial waters for inspection.
Over 450 vessels checked
The case comes amid a broader uptick in so-called “shadow fleet” activity in the region.
According to the Transport Administration, there has been an increase in vessels operating without proper documentation in the Gulf of Finland, raising concerns about threats to maritime safety, critical infrastructure, and the environment.
Since June, the Estonian authority has checked documents from 458 vessels.
One forged insurance document has been confirmed, and several others are under verification by flag states. Seven vessels have been inspected at anchor in coordination with other government agencies.
Estonian officials view the Kiwala case as part of a broader effort to enforce maritime rules and curb the movement of unregulated or stateless ships through the region.
The ship had been sailing through Estonian waters in the Gulf of Finland early and was on its way to a Russian port when it was detained.
Several vessels have been stopped and searched by countries around the Baltic Sea in recent months after a spate of broken undersea cables. But there is no suspicion the Kiwala is connected to damaged infrastructure.
