Russian corvettes seize Estonian research buoy in Baltic Sea
Two Russian corvettes patrolling the Baltic Sea encountered research equipment belonging to the Estonian Institute of Maritime Systems. Although initially there were no signs of trouble, the GPS locator indicated that the buoy used for sea research first moved position along with the Russian ships and then ended up in Kaliningrad.
The unusual incident is reported by the Ukrainian service Militarny. The Russians stole the buoy, built by a team from the Tallinn University of Technology. The Estonians designed and assembled this equipment for the purpose of studying sea waves.
The buoy was placed about 50 kilometres from the island of Hiiumaa, at the entrance to the Gulf of Riga, outside Estonian territorial waters but within the Estonian economic zone.
As noted by the director of the Institute of Maritime Systems, Rivo Uibopin, since April 26 there had been observed movement of the buoy that did not correspond to natural conditions, prompting a request to the Estonian navy for assistance in locating the buoy. Since none of the Estonian ships were nearby, the Latvian navy came to assist.
Thanks to the data provided by them, it was possible to compare the buoy's movement with that of two Russian Bujan-M class corvettes, which at the time – with their transponders turned off – were passing in the area. The buoy's position was also indicated by the GPS locator placed within it – first located in the Kaliningrad port, and then ended up at the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet.
The commander of the Estonian navy, Ivo Värk, points out that the Russians might have considered the buoy a navigational hazard if its position was not marked on the maps for some reason. When asked about the issue of the buoy's theft by the Russians, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal stated:
Estonian researchers – despite the loss of equipment – do not intend to discontinue further measurements. A new buoy will be placed at the site of the stolen one, and the Institute of Maritime Systems admits that it still has 10 more units.
Russian Bujan-M class corvettes
The Estonian buoy was most likely taken aboard one of the Bujan-M (Project 21631) class corvettes. These are small Russian missile ships, with a displacement not exceeding 1,120 metric tonnes and a hull length of 74 metres.
For their size, these vessels are heavily armed. Their main weapon, besides artillery equipment, consists of eight launchers with Kalibr or Oniks missiles. Russia has commissioned 12 of these units and plans to commission several more. An important advantage of Bujan-M class units is their relatively small length and draft, allowing Russia to move them between fleets using inland waterways.
