Putin threatens to seize European ships over shadow fleet crackdown

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Moscow will "respond in kind" if European countries seize Russian merchant vessels, in a sharp escalation of rhetoric as the EU intensifies its campaign against Russia's sanctions-evading maritime network.

"Of course, this is nothing short of piracy and banditry. And if this is actually put into practice, we will be forced to respond in kind," Putin said, according to Reuters, citing the TASS state news agency.reuters

Putin made the remarks while overseeing the final stages of Russia's Pacific Fleet exercises from aboard the guided missile cruiser Varyag off Sakhalin island in Russia's Far East. He warned that any retaliatory action would not be confined to the waters where seizures occur but would take place "wherever we deem it necessary and appropriate," including in the Pacific.euronews+2

Europe's Growing Crackdown

The threat comes as European governments have stepped up enforcement against Russia's so-called shadow fleet — a network of aging, often poorly insured tankers used to transport sanctioned Russian oil and evade Western restrictions imposed over the war in Ukraine.kyivindependent

Sweden, France, Britain, and Belgium have all intercepted or detained vessels linked to the network in recent months. New EU sanctions passed last month permit member states to sell oil or other cargo seized from the ships. Swedish courts have also agreed to transfer to Ukraine the Caffa, a shadow fleet vessel suspected of transporting grain looted from occupied Ukrainian territory.londonlovesbusiness+3

The United States seized a Russian-flagged tanker in the Atlantic in January, according to the Kyiv Independent, in an unusually direct intervention even after Moscow reportedly dispatched a submarine to protect it.kyivindependent

Wider Tensions

Putin used the occasion to accuse NATO of expanding into the Asia-Pacific region. "NATO is making inroads into the region, new military-political blocs are being formed, and new weapons systems that pose a threat to Russia are being deployed or are slated for deployment," he said.reuters

The Pacific Fleet exercises come a week before joint US-South Korean war games designed to simulate a possible invasion from North Korea, amid accusations from Kyiv and Seoul that Pyongyang and Moscow are further intensifying military cooperation.malaymail+1

Western governments and maritime watchdogs have warned that shadow fleet vessels pose environmental risks beyond sanctions evasion, as the aging tankers operate with limited insurance and weak oversight, increasing the danger of oil spills. Intelligence agencies have also raised concerns about the vessels being used for surveillance, sabotage, and other hybrid operations.londonlovesbusiness+1