Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has accused a Russian fighter jet of violating NATO territory after the Estonian Navy attempted to intercept a tanker believed to be part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet." The incident occurred on May 15, as Tsahkna made the claim while speaking in Antalya, Turkey, ahead of a NATO informal meeting, according to a report by Reuters.

Tsahkna said the Russian aircraft was dispatched to "check the situation" after the tanker refused to cooperate with Estonian authorities and was being escorted back to Russian waters. "And this fighter jet violated NATO territory for close to one minute," Tsahkna stated, emphasizing that "the Russian Federation is ready to protect the 'shadow fleet'... the situation is really serious."

The "shadow fleet" consists of aging vessels utilized by Russia to bypass Western sanctions, including those imposed by the EU, U.K., and U.S. Ukraine recently targeted Russian and Iranian nationals involved in illicit oil exports by sanctioning captains of these ships.

Bloomberg previously reported on January 23 that a growing number of Russian oil tankers have been forced to reflag as international sanctions disrupt Moscow's oil export logistics, causing vessels to register under less reputable jurisdictions.

Estonian outlet ERR reported that Russia sent a Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jet to investigate the tanker Jaguar, which was navigating through international waters in the Gulf of Finland. Estonian authorities noted that the ship lacked a proper flag, rendering it unauthorized to sail in international waters.

To intercept the vessel, Estonia deployed an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter, an M28 Skytruck reconnaissance aircraft, and the EML Raju patrol vessel, according to Militarny.

The incident on May 13 concluded with the tanker Jaguar returning to the Russian port of Primorsk. This was not the first such confrontation - on April 11, the Estonian Navy detained the oil tanker Kiwala, also linked to the shadow fleet.