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Putin Threatens Seizures
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries against seizing Russian commercial vessels, calling such actions maritime piracy and saying Russia would respond similarly if European countries seized Russian merchant ships.
“calling such actions maritime piracy”
Speaking during naval exercises in Sakhalin, Putin said Russia would act “wherever we ourselves deem it necessary and appropriate,” and he accused Western countries of restricting the movement of Russian vessels.
The remarks came as Sweden, France, Britain and Belgium have intercepted vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, and the United States seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic in January.
Reuters reported that Putin said Russia will respond in kind if European countries start to seize Russian merchant vessels, and that Russia’s Pacific Fleet commander told Putin his forces were ready to “inspect and detain” foreign vessels from what he called hostile states.
Liina, Medvedev, and Law
Russia’s Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Viktor Liina told Putin that the navy had “enough assets for inspection and detention” of vessels serving “unfriendly nations,” and he said many ships fly foreign flags to create a “shadow fleet.”
Putin’s threat was framed as a breach of international maritime law, and he told officials: “It’s nothing but piracy and robbery.”
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, argued that a symmetrical approach would let Russia attack any merchant vessel belonging to hostile nations “whether in our waters or in neutral waters,” if there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect it carried cargo in the enemy’s interest.
The Associated Press reported that France and the U.K. have detained tankers suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” while the EU has sanctioned hundreds of such ships and Russia has deployed warships to escort its commercial vessels.
Retaliation and Wider Risks
Putin said Russia’s response would not necessarily be limited to the waters where ships were seized, adding that Moscow could retaliate “in any area where we see it as necessary and appropriate,” including in the Pacific.
“Any retaliatory action could affect maritime security”
The Daily Times | Asian report said Putin’s warning raises the prospect of further tensions between Russia and Western countries, and that any retaliatory action could affect maritime security and commercial shipping routes.
In the same Reuters account, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused the EU of using its naval force in the Mediterranean—named operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini—of carrying out unlawful inspections of foreign vessels and said the EU was bringing “great dangers upon itself.”
The Associated Press said Russia is believed to be using a fleet of hundreds of ships to evade international sanctions imposed after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, with the EU, France and the U.K. intensifying detention and sanctions tied to the shadow fleet.
