Added on: 2025-04-16

Kinnipeetud tanker Kiwala jääb veel teadmata ajaks Eesti vetesse

Detained tanker Kiwala remains in Estonian waters for an unknown period

Eesti on saanud kontakti möödunud reedel kinnipeetud tankeri Kiwala omanikega. Meeskond tegeleb puuduste kõrvaldamisega. Venemaa sadamatesse pääsu ootava varilaevastikuga on aga raske võidelda. Välisministeeriumi sõnul tuleb näidata oma kohalolu.

Eesti võimud on vestelnud Kiwala omanikuga Mauritiuselt. Omanik on valmis koostööks. Praegu tegeletakse laevalt leitud 40 puuduse kõrvaldamisega. Oluline on saada laevale kindlustus ja leida, millise riigi alla laev kuulub. Transpordiamet suhtleb Kiwala endise lipuriigi Djiboutiga. Omanikud võivad viia laeva teise riigi registrisse. Endiselt pole selge, millal laev Eesti vetest lahkub.

Transpordiameti direktor Kristjan Truu ütles, et alles . "Kui kõik puudused on likvideeritud, siis saame teha uue ülevaatuse. Vastavalt tulemustele vabastame laeva," ütles Truu. Kiwala võib vajadusel varusid täiendada, kuid selle eest vastutab omanik. Eestile see lisakulusid ei tekita. Kiwalat turvab merevägi, kuid nüüd on seal .

Truu sõnul pole kellegi huvides, et Kiwala ilma loata minema sõidaks. Murekohaks on . Läänemere idapool ootab pääsu palju aluseid. Enamik neist on ja oht keskkonnale.

Välisministeeriumi asekantsler Kerli Veski ütles, et varilaevastiku kindlustuse kontrollimine on üks võimalusi keskkonda kaitsta. Teiseks oleks vaja . "Me näitame oma kohalolu, jälgime laevu ja küsime, mida nad teevad," ütles Veski. Samas peab olema tagatud , mistõttu on varilaevastikuga võitlemine keeruline.

Estonia has made contact with the owners of the detained tanker Kiwala last Friday. The crew is working on eliminating deficiencies. However, it is difficult to deal with the shadow fleet awaiting access to Russian ports. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it is necessary to show our presence.

Estonian authorities have spoken with the owner of Kiwala from Mauritius. The owner is ready to cooperate. Currently, efforts are being made to eliminate the 40 deficiencies found on the ship. It is important to obtain insurance for the ship and determine under which country's flag it sails. The Transport Board is in contact with Djibouti, the former flag state of Kiwala. The owners may move the ship to another country's registry. It is still unclear when the ship will leave Estonian waters.

Kristjan Truu, Director of the Transport Board, said that the ship can only leave after a re-inspection. "Once all deficiencies have been eliminated, we will conduct a new inspection. Based on the results, we will release the ship," said Truu. Kiwala may need to replenish supplies, but the owner is responsible for this. This will not incur additional costs for Estonia. The ship is guarded by the Navy, but now the minehunter Admiral Cowan is there.

According to Truu, it is in no one's interest for Kiwala to sail away without permission. The concern is the ship's further journey. In the eastern part of the Baltic Sea, many vessels are waiting for access to Russian ports. Most of them are in poor condition and pose a threat to the environment.

Kerli Veski, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that checking the insurance of the shadow fleet is one way to protect the environment. Secondly, there is a need to increase monitoring. "We show our presence, monitor the ships, and ask what they are doing," said Veski. At the same time, navigational freedom must be guaranteed, which makes fighting the shadow fleet difficult.