Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia would retaliate against British and European ships after a series of Western moves against vessels accused of helping to finance Moscow’s war effort through sanctions evasion.
Speaking on 12 August during a visit to a Russian warship taking part in naval drills in the Pacific, the Russian president described the interception of suspected shadow fleet tankers as “piracy” and accused Western governments of breaking international maritim...
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e law. He said Russia could respond “in kind”, and not necessarily in the same waters where any seizure took place.
His remarks come after the UK and its allies stepped up pressure on vessels linked to Russia’s oil trade. In March, Sir Keir Starmer said Royal Marines commandos would be authorised to board and halt shadow fleet ships passing through UK waters, including the English Channel, in an effort to make sanctions-busting routes more difficult and costly. The move was aimed at tankers believed to be transporting Russian crude while operating under opaque ownership and flags.
The shadow fleet has become a central target of Western sanctions policy. According to reports, the network includes more than 1,000 ageing or lightly regulated tankers used to move Russian oil to buyers such as China and India while obscuring their true ownership. The European Union has already sanctioned hundreds of such vessels, and last month it approved measures allowing member states to sell oil or other cargo seized from them.
Putin’s comments echoed earlier warnings from senior Russian figures that Moscow might deploy naval assets to protect Russian-linked shipping. Admiral Viktor Liina, commander of the Pacific Fleet, said Russian forces were ready to inspect and detain vessels from what he called unfriendly states. Russia has also begun escorting parts of its commercial fleet with warships, underlining how the confrontation at sea is widening.
The latest escalation follows the first UK-led interception of a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker in June, when Royal Marine commandos boarded a vessel about 25 miles off the Isle of Wight. Britain had previously faced criticism for failing to act more forcefully against ships accused of helping Moscow skirt sanctions.
The dispute over maritime enforcement has now turned into a broader test of resolve between Russia and the West, with both sides warning that measures aimed at commercial shipping could provoke direct retaliation.
Source: Noah Wire Services
