Putin threatens retaliation for Western seizures of Russian commercial vessels

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of retaliation against Western nations that seized Russian commercial vessels, branding their actions as "piracy" during a visit to a naval warship in the Pacific Ocean. Speaking aboard the vessel, Putin vehemently denounced the Western moves to detain the Russian-linked ships as a clear breach of international maritime law, calling them acts of "robbery."

Putin emphasized that Russia would not hesitate to respond in kind, stating that Moscow could retaliate "in any area where we see it as necessary and appropriate," not limited to the waters where the seized ships were detained. The Pacific Fleet commander, Admiral Viktor Liina, informed Putin that the Russian navy was prepared to commence inspections of commercial vessels belonging to unfriendly nations, noting that many of these ships are sailing under the flags of other countries, effectively creating a "shadow fleet" of sorts.

Liina informed Putin that the Russian forces possess sufficient assets to conduct these inspections.