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| Russian and NATO fighter jets clash as allied forces try to board Moscow oil tanker in high-stakes naval showdown off the coast of Europe |
| 2025-05-16 |
| [Daily Mail, where America get its news] Both NATO and Russia scrambled warplanes in a dramatic clash above the Baltic after a major standoff over a tanker in Vladimir Putin's shadow fleet. Estonian forces sought to board the 'Gabon-flagged' oil tanker Jaguar using a patrol vessel and helicopter, as well as a surveillance watercraft. The Russian-bound ship is suspected of being used by Moscow as part of its shadow fleet to avoid international sanctions. It was sanctioned by Britain on Friday. NATO aircraft - including Polish MiG-29s - were scrambled as the vessel refused to cooperate. Russia also deployed a Su-35S fighter jet which allegedly violated Estonian airspace as it sought to provide cover for the fleeing Jaguar. In dramatic video, the plane belonging to NATO-member Poland was seen tailing the Russian Su-35 over the Gulf of Finland, which is part of the Baltic Sea. In separate footage, a Russian voice on the bridge of the tanker accused the Estonians of being 'clowns' as they tried and failed to board the vessel. The standoff comes as Putin was a no-show in Istanbul for peace talks with Ukraine on Thursday, prompting criticism that the Russian leader was not serious about ending the three-year-long conflict. The tanker ultimately anchored near Gogland Island in the eastern Baltic Sea. Footage shows the high drama in one of the most tense regions in the world amid disputes between Russia and NATO over Ukraine. 'This is how we're greeted with helicopters,' said a voice -apparently Russian - on the tanker. 'They're demanding we anchor.' A message is heard saying: 'This is Estonian warship Papa 6732. 'Your request will be denied. 'Follow my instructions. Immediately change course to 105. Over.' A voice from the tanker in Hindi says: 'That looks like our drone in front….' A Russian voice demands: 'Go on, hit it running….' Referring to the Estonians, he says: 'What a bunch of clowns!' The Estonian vessel comes close to the tanker seeking to swerve it to the right. An Estonian A139 helicopter and an M-28 Skytruck plane of the Estonian defence forces were then seen circling the vessel. Boasting a success against the West, pro-Kremlin news outlet Izvestia reported: 'Despite this show of force, the Estonian authorities were unable to stop the vessel. 'The Jaguar ultimately reached Gogland Island …. a Russian-controlled territory in the Gulf [of Finland], and resumed its route to Primorsk'. Russian outlet News-Pravda reported, 'Sailors from the Baltic Republic [Estonia] twice tried to land troops from a helicopter.' After the extraordinary clash, NATO state Estonia summoned the Russian Chargé d'Affaires in Tallinn, Lenar Salimullin, who was handed a note of protest, accusing the Putin warplane of violating the republic's airspace. ‘From Estonia's point of view, this is a very serious and regrettable incident that is in no way unacceptable,' said Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna. He demanded that Russia 'must face tougher, faster sanctions' . The tanker had been near Naissaar Island, off Tallinn, when the Estonian Navy communicated with it by radio at 1530 GMT on Tuesday, said Commander Ivo Vark. It was sailing 'without a nationality' and Estonia 'had an obligation to verify the vessel's documents and legal status', he said. 'The vessel denied cooperation and continued its journey toward Russia... given the vessel's lack of nationality, the use of force, including boarding the vessel, was deemed unnecessary.' Estonia escorted it until the vessel reached Russian waters. Estonia's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said the ship was sent from Estonian to Russian territorial waters to prevent a threat to his country's critical infrastructure. 'The issue was the ship's flag state, and our most important goal was to ensure the security of critical infrastructure. This was achieved,' he claimed. The 800-ft long Jaguar is a crude oil tanker reportedly sailing under the flag of Gabon. The Equasis database suggested the ship changed its name and flag state at the beginning of February. According to this data its name is now Argent and its flag state is Guinea-Bissau. Putin uses a vast network of non-Russian tankers - called a shadow fleet - to avoid oil sanctions. The stand-off over the Baltic Sea today come a day after satellite images emerged showing a build up of Russian forces just miles from the Finnish border, with evidence that Moscow has been establishing troop accommodation, aircraft infrastructure and other new facilities at key military bases. Signs that Moscow is sending weapons and troops to the area come following claims, including from Finland's Prime Minister and German intelligence, that Putin is gearing up for a lengthy conflict with the West. A Finnish government report cited in news outlet Iltalehti in December states that Helsinki considers an attack on Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Baltic states to be a possibility. 'Russia is strengthening its military presence and activities in its northwestern direction in all operational environments as quickly as possible,' the report warns. NATO sources who spoke to the newspaper reportedly said that Moscow has been rehearsing an attack on the bloc's eastern flank and outlined a threat assessment of where could be targeted. A coordinated attack involving a number of Russian units could simultaneously strike the Norwegian coast, Finland's south and Lapland region, the Swedish island of Gotland and even break into Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the sources are quoted as saying. But experts have suggested that Putin is more likely to opt for small-scale attacks, designed to cause chaos within NATO as it would be forced to grapple over whether to honour its mutual defence pact or allow Russia to take territory to avoid a full-scale European war. It also comes as Putin sent aides and deputy ministers to hold peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey today. The Russian leader on Sunday proposed direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky had said he would be waiting for the Kremlin leader. But after keeping the world guessing for days about Putin's plans, the Kremlin late on Wednesday named a lower-level delegation that did not include the president and was described by Kyiv's European allies as a snub. It was unclear how Ukraine - which has so far not publicly committed to send anyone to talks in Istanbul or to name a delegation - would respond. Zelensky - who has said he will not speak to anyone on the Russian side except Putin - would make a decision about the talks after meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan later on Thursday in Ankara. There was confusion in Istanbul, where reporters were gathered near the Dolmabahce palace that the Russians had specified as the talks venue. A Ukrainian official said there had been no agreement on when talks might begin. Turkish officials have given no information on the time or location, but Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said he hoped the talks would open a new chapter. The Ukrainian leader had goaded Putin earlier this week by questioning if he was brave enough to show up. The Kremlin says Putin - who is also under threat of even tighter European sanctions to 'suffocate' Russia's economy - does not respond to ultimatums. Putin's initial proposal came after more than three months of diplomacy kickstarted by US President Donald Trump, who promised during his campaign to end the devastating war swiftly. The Trump administration in recent weeks indicated that it might walk away from the peace effort if there was no tangible progress soon. Trump had pressed for Putin and Zelensky to meet in Istanbul but said Thursday he wasn't surprised that Putin was a no-show. He brushed off Putin's decision to not take part in the talks. 'I didn't think it was possible for Putin to go if I'm not there,' Trump said during a roundtable in Doha, Qatar The US and Western European leaders have threatened Russia with further sanctions if there is no progress in halting the fighting. |
| Posted by:Skidmark |
| #6 Formerly Russian-Occupied Neutral Territories or somesuch. Or, optimistically, Future? |
| Posted by: Pancho Poodle8452 2025-05-16 23:58 |
| #5 Ah, er, arrrgh, that robust Russian repartee... "Argent calling! All canines on hunt For a bear, you are, every one, runt, And political science Demands your alliance Be known from this moment as 'FRONT!'" Too easy, maybe, for y'all, as ABEL a crew of acronym solvers as ever sailed the seven seas. Or at least the 4Cs. Though possibly not the CCCP's. |
| Posted by: Pancho Poodle8452 2025-05-16 20:18 |
| #4 If Estonians and Poles think they can interfere with shipping in international waters, what makes them any different from the Houthis? |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2025-05-16 12:57 |
| #3 Eventually those shadow fleet members will launch a few FPV drones to answer shots across the bow. |
| Posted by: Clem+Elmish4239 2025-05-16 11:34 |
| #2 ^Death to the EU. |
| Posted by: Grom the Affective 2025-05-16 09:49 |
| #1 Sooner or later someone on either side is going to "Ah hell, I'm goin' for it". Feel free to translate that into po-russki for me, Grom. |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2025-05-16 08:48 |