Russia Detains Dry Cargo Ship in Gulf of Finland

Russian border guards detained the dry cargo ship Västerbotten in the Gulf of Finland. It is 116 meters long and flies under a Cypriot flag, operated by a German operator. It was en route from Mönsterås, Sweden, to Sillamäe, Estonia. The shortest route there is through Russian territorial waters—an agreement reached between Russia, Estonia, and Finland, as it is safer for large vessels than squeezing between Estonian shoals.

That's where it was stopped.

Some canals have already rushed to release the ship. There's no need to rush. The last signal came at 3:58 PM Moscow time: Västerbotten is anchored approximately 13 kilometers south of Bolshoy Tyuters. Its speed is half a knot, meaning it's simply drifting. Its destination remains Sillamäe, and it was scheduled to arrive there at 9 AM today. The morning is long gone.

Neither the Estonian nor our side announced the release. The reason for the detention was also not explained to Tallinn. However, Are Piel, ...