On January 27, Kamran Abilov, Russia’s Charge d’affaires in Tallinn, stated that Estonia violates the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea by restricting Russian navigation in the Baltic Sea and employing force against seafarers.
The diplomat criticized a bill passed by the Estonian parliament that grants authorities the right to sink “dangerous and suspicious vessels.” According to the legislation, the Estonian military may target civilian ships if they allegedly threaten critical facilities within Estonia.
“By adopting such laws in Estonia, they are trying to restrict freedom of navigation not only for Russia but also for all other states with mutually beneficial economic ties,” Abilov said.
He noted that the bill contradicts international maritime law. A senior Russian official added: “No one can interfere with freedom of navigation if a ship does not violate its basic principles, but even in this case, it is unacceptable to use armed forces against sailors.”
On January 27, Abilov also condemned Estonia’s territorial claims over the Pechora region of the Pskov region as “absolutely unacceptable.” He further indicated that negotiations regarding the state border with Estonia remain inactive due to the nation’s hostile stance toward Moscow.
Separately, on January 26, a joint initiative involving Finland’s Border Guard Service and the Baltic States, along with the European Commission, established a Maritime Monitoring Center in the Gulf of Finland to protect critical underwater infrastructure. The center grants authorities the authority to intervene in situations within territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.
