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What's Putin doing off Estonia's coast?
DW (English)
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7 months ago
After recent acts of sabotage, NATO warships are patrolling the coast of Estonia. Putin's shadow fleet uses the Baltic Sea to ship Russian oil all over the world. Most of the tankers are old and a potential hazard for the marine environment
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00:00
A suspicious freighter off the coast of Estonia, detected by the Sakala, a vessel of the Estonian
00:09
Navy on patrol in the Baltic Sea.
00:14
As we approach the freighter, the soldier's suspicions are confirmed.
00:18
This is no ordinary ship, but a Russian oil tanker flying a false flag, possibly part
00:25
of Putin's so-called Shadow Fleet.
00:33
As the Sakala draws closer, the crew checks for any suspicious activity, whether the ship
00:38
suddenly slows down, makes a sudden turn or refuses to communicate.
00:47
Missions like this have become routine for Captain Kantz and his crew.
00:52
Yesterday we saw something hanging from an anchor chain from one cargo vessel.
01:00
So we went closer, we contacted the vessel and we checked, actually it wasn't anything
01:07
else but it was just a fire hose tangled in the anchor chain.
01:14
In times of war, the Sakala is a minesweeper, specialized for the finding and disarming
01:19
of sea mines.
01:22
Its current mission, however, is patrolling the Gulf of Finland for NATO, together with
01:26
two other Estonian warships.
01:33
It's the Alliance's response to suspected acts of sabotage, which have increased in
01:38
the Baltic Sea in recent months.
01:41
Ships from the Russian Shadow Fleet are among those being investigated.
01:48
The shadowy tankers have been cruising local fishing grounds for three years now.
01:53
Heiko Heitur is a passionate local fisherman.
01:56
He supplies restaurants here in Pihlaspea, northern Estonia, with mackerel, salmon, trout
02:02
and perch.
02:06
The situation in the Baltic Sea is a real worry.
02:11
There are lots of these big ships in the sea.
02:18
They're standing around waiting to sail on to Russia.
02:21
We have no choice but to come to terms with the situation and to deal with the danger
02:25
posed by the ships.
02:29
Ships that are often old and poorly insured.
02:32
Western authorities believe Moscow is using them to evade sanctions and as a tool of hybrid
02:38
warfare against the West.
02:44
A shipwreck dumping thousands of tons of oil into the sea would have dramatic environmental
02:49
consequences.
02:51
Heiko Heitur, retrieving today's catch, knows this better than most.
02:56
If something were to happen, the fishing would be over.
03:02
Pollution could spread quite quickly.
03:05
That's the biggest danger, I think.
03:10
NATO's increased presence in the Baltic Sea is intended to provide security.
03:15
But many Estonians are not only worried about Moscow.
03:19
Following Donald Trump's recent statements, they fear a US withdrawal from NATO, and that
03:25
American soldiers might soon be sent home.
03:29
Estonian President Alar Karis doesn't see this happening anytime soon.
03:34
Despite that, he is overseeing a huge increase in defence spending, to 5% of GDP, a record
03:41
among NATO countries.
03:43
You have to realise the whole Europe is next to Russia, so we all border Russia.
03:51
So it's not only Estonia, Finland and some other countries, it's the whole Europe.
03:55
So if something is going to happen, I hope not, so the whole Europe is in trouble.
04:04
Meanwhile, back in the Baltic Sea, the Sakhala is engaged in a training exercise with a Finnish
04:09
warship.
04:13
Both Finland and Sweden have now joined NATO, in response to Putin's attack on Ukraine and
04:18
the threat to the rest of Europe.
04:26
Though we don't feel the war directly at the moment, we know what's causing it and the
04:30
presence of these ships at sea.
04:34
Unfortunately, there is not much we can do, except look at the sea and hope for the best.
04:44
One piece of good news, the number of suspicious vessels in the Baltic is said to have plateaued
04:49
since NATO increased its presence there.
04:52
It offers a bit of comfort to people who, like Heiko Heitor, call this Baltic Sea coast
04:58
their home.
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