Russia detained the foreign vessel *Västerbotten*, which was en route to an Estonian port

Russian border guards detained the Cypriot-flagged dry cargo ship *Västerbotten* in the Gulf of Finland as it was en route to the Estonian port of Sillamäe.

The vessel entered Russian territorial waters, after which it was anchored for inspection. According to Estonian officials, the inspection lasted several hours; however, Estonia has not received any official explanation regarding the reasons for the detention or its results.

 The route taken by the Västerbotten is provided for under agreements between Russia, Estonia, and Finland. Large vessels use this route because it is safer than navigating through the shoals in Estonian waters.

In light of the incident, Estonia decided to change the traffic patterns for vessels traveling to and from Sillamäe to reduce the risk of similar situations recurring.

Source: ERR News

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