Russian authorities have released the oil tanker Green Admire, which was detained in the Baltic Sea on May 18, 2025, after leaving the Estonian port of Sillamäe with a cargo of shale oil. This was reported by the ERR publication, specifying that on the evening of May 19, the vessel left Russian territorial waters and headed to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, according to its original route. The incident, which caused tension in the region, was the first time a vessel was detained on an agreed route through Russian waters, and is being discussed as a possible response to Estonia's actions against Russia's "shadow fleet".

The Green Admire, a Liberian-flagged tanker owned by Greek company Aegean Shipping, left Sillamäe at 17:18 local time on May 30, carrying around 700 barrels of shale oil. The vessel was following a pre-agreed route through Russian territorial waters in the Gulf of Finland, which is used to avoid the shallows of Estonian waters. This corridor, approved by Russia, Estonia and Finland, is considered safer for larger vessels. However, on the night of May 18, Russian authorities stopped the tanker, after which it was taken to the island of Gogland (Suursaar), where it dropped anchor.

The Estonian Foreign Ministry called Russia's actions "unpredictable" and linked them to Estonia's recent attempts to stop the activities of Russia's "shadow fleet" - vessels used to circumvent Western sanctions on oil exports. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said the incident demonstrated "aggressive behavior by Russia" and that Tallinn had notified NATO allies. He said there was no need for direct talks with Moscow because the situation remained "calm" and the tanker complied without the use of force.

The exact reasons for the detention remain unclear. According to ERR, Russian authorities repeatedly warned the Green Admire about entering an area designated as dangerous for shipping, but the tanker did not change course, which could be due to a language barrier or reluctance to extend the route. A Greek source cited by Reuters suggested that Russia may have imposed a fine for the violation, after which it released the vessel.