Russia says new Estonian legislation threatens Baltic shipping security

Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov holds annual press conference in Moscow
FILE PHOTO: Spokesperson of Russia's Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova attends the annual press conference held by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, January 14, 2025. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/ File Photo
Source: REUTERS

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that Estonia's adoption of legal amendments allowing the country's navy to use force against foreign vessels was a provocative action that poses risks to shipping and security in the Baltic Sea.

Zakharova said that Russia would react proportionately to instances of aggression against its vessels.

Last week Estonia seized the Kiwala, which has been under EU sanctions since February as part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet", a term Western countries use for ships they say Moscow deploys to circumvent international sanctions. The ships are typically not regulated or insured by conventional Western providers. (This story has been corrected to say that Maria Zakharova was referring to Estonian legislation regarding foreign vessels, not the seizure of ship last week, in the headline and paragraph 1)

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

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