Putin Threatens Retaliation Over Seizures of Russian Ships

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday threatened retaliation for Western seizures of Russian commercial vessels, calling the detentions "piracy" and a breach of international maritime law.

Putin spoke during a visit to a Russian warship taking part in a naval exercise in the Pacific.

"It's nothing but piracy and robbery," he said. "If this is done, we will be forced to respond in kind."

He added that any Russian response would not necessarily come in the waters where Russian ships were seized, saying Moscow could retaliate "in any area where we see it as necessary and appropriate," including in the Pacific.

The chief of Russia's Pacific Fleet, Adm. Viktor Liina, told Putin the navy was prepared to begin inspecting commercial ships serving what he called "unfriendly nations." Liina said many vessels operated by British, French and other European carriers fly the flags of other countries, effectively making them a "shadow fleet."

"We have enough assets for inspection and detention of vessels of the unfriendly nations and their shadow fleet," Liina said. "We are ready to start performing the task."

Russia itself 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. France and the United Kingdom have detained tankers suspected of belonging to that shadow fleet and shipping oil in violation of sanctions, and the European Union has sanctioned hundreds of such ships.

Russia has recently begun deploying warships to escort its commercial vessels.

Dmitry Medvedev, who served as Russia's president from 2008 to 2012 so that Putin could observe term limits and is now deputy head of Russia's Security Council, said many ships belonging to European carriers fly "flags of convenience" just as Russian carriers do.

"It means that by applying a symmetrical approach, which is only fair, Russia has the right to attack any merchant vessel belonging to hostile nations, whether in our waters or in neutral waters, provided there are reasonable grounds to suspect it is carrying cargo in the enemy's interest, and that applies to any cargo," Medvedev said. "There are a great many such vessels, and our military is capable of dramatically expanding operations well beyond the Black Sea basin."