Russian naval encounter with Estonian buoy raises tensions
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 with the Russian ships and then ended up in Kaliningrad.
This unusual incident is reported by the Ukrainian service Militarnyi. The Russians have allegedly taken the buoy, built by a team from Tallinn University of Technology. The Estonians designed and assembled this equipment to study 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 26 April, the buoy had been observed to move in ways that didn’t match natural conditions, prompting a request to the Estonian navy for assistance in locating the buoy. Since no 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 through the area. The buoy's position was also indicated by the GPS locator placed within it – initially located in the port of Kaliningrad, and then at the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet.
The commander of the Estonian navy, Ivo Värk, suggests that the Russians might have considered the buoy a navigational hazard if its position was not marked on the maps for some reason. When addressing the issue of the buoy allegedly taken by Russian forces, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal emphasized that the incident would not hinder the continuation of research activities. Despite the loss, Estonian scientists plan to resume measurements at the same location with a replacement buoy. The Institute of Maritime Systems has confirmed that ten additional units remain available for use.
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 1,102 tonnes and a hull length of 74 metres.
For their size, these vessels are heavily armed. Their main weapons, besides artillery equipment, consist 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.
