with only 128 kilometers at its widest pointhe It connects Russia with the Baltic Sea and, through it, with the rest of the world. A strategic location that puts this small maritime stretch in northern Europe at risk of becoming the epicenter of a .
This narrow route, flanked by Finland and Estonia, both member countries of the Atlantic Alliance, is used by Moscow to circumvent and continue exporting oil and gas. “Russia uses this corridor to export the 60% of its oil and gas“says the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Margus Tsahknain one
It is a constant transit, since More than 400 boats navigate these waters every weekmany of them part of the so-called , an opaque network of vessels with unknown owners that transport crude oil to international markets. This has exponentially increased concern in the area.
“This has allowed Russia to keep its coffers full and really cushion the impact of the sanctions”, Natalie SabanadzeRussian foreign policy expert and former Georgian diplomat.
Tsahkna acknowledges that, For now, “Russia has the right of passage”but warns that, in the event of a military escalationthe answer will be immediate: “If we talk about Russian aggression, if it starts, of course, it will be closed and totally controlled by NATO, our allies and us“.
Provations sea and air
The international security expert Tom Keatingeconsiders that a hypothetical conflict between NATO and Russia is controversial for both sides. “Obviously, It is a very sensitive issue from NATO’s perspective. . There are many military planes flying over that area… but it is also very sensitive for Russians“he also explains to The Sun.
The region has been the scene of multiple provocations. From 2022, Russian planes have violated Estonian airspace on at least eight occasions. Last month, a It lasted 12 minutes and traveled 125 miles within NATO space. This led Estonia to invoke a consultation under Article 4 of the treaty.
“There was no immediate military threat to Estonia,” Tsahkna argues to justify the decision not to shoot down the planes. However, NATO claims to be prepared to use “all necessary military and non-military tools” to defend itself. Meanwhile, tension continues to rise.
In addition, In September, French authorities intercepted an oil tanker of Russian origin, suspected of operating as a ghost ship. and to facilitate the deployment of drones in NATO airspace. The ship would have departed from Russia, crossing the strategic Gulf of Finland.
In December, the , another ship linked to the so-called ‘shadow fleet’, was pointed out by allegedly damaging five telecommunications cables by using your anchor in a maritime area considered to be of high tension.
Given these incidents, Sabanadze warns about the urgent need to strengthen surveillance in the naval inlet. According to him, if measures are not taken, more similar vessels could continue to cause disruptions.
