The (In)applicability of the Right of Innocent Passage in the Gulf of Finland – Russia’s Return to a Mare Clausum?

Abstract The Gulf of Finland has one the busiest shipping routes globally and is main export channel for Russian oil gas. Federation not closed its territorial sea east-west passage ships to from ports. However, it blocked over past dozen years north-south an Estonian-Finnish commercial ferry line that received Federation’s permission crossing sea. permit-based regime caused closure in 2007 reportedly still hinders re-establishment. In this context, practice on right innocent through resembles Soviet Union’s prior 1989 Jackson Hole statement.