Moscow to respond in kind to Europe seizing Russian merchant ships, Putin says
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Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened on Aug. 12 to "respond in kind" if European countries seize Russian commercial vessels, calling such attempts "nothing more than piracy."
The statement comes as the West ramps up efforts to clamp down on Russia's shadow fleet, a group of aging and poorly insured tankers Moscow uses to circumvent sanctions and carry out hybrid operations.
"We see that the authorities of some countries, in violation of international maritime law, are attempting to restrict the movement of vessels belonging to our economic operators," Putin said while visiting exercises of Russia's Pacific Fleet.
"And recently, they even came up with the idea of seizing our ships and selling the property they stole from us," he said, adding that Moscow "will be forced to respond in kind" if such methods are put into practice.
In recent months, countries like Sweden, France, the U.K., and Belgium have intercepted vessels from Russia's shadow fleet, many of which were sailing under third-country flags and in violation of sanctions.
Swedish courts have since agreed to hand over Caffa, a shadow fleet vessel transporting grain looted from occupied Ukrainian territories, to Ukraine.
The U.S. also seized a Russian-flagged tanker in the Atlantic Ocean on Jan. 7 for the first time in recent history, even after Moscow had reportedly dispatched a submarine to protect it.
Western governments and watchdogs have warned that Russian shadow fleet vessels pose a risk not only to international security but also to the environment and marine life, as the aging tankers are more prone to oil spills.
