Putin threatens retaliation for Western seizures of Russian commercial vessels

Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation on Wednesday for Western seizures of Russian commercial vessels, describing the actions as "piracy" and a breach of international maritime law. Speaking during a visit to a Russian warship participating in a Pacific naval exercise, Putin stated that the Western moves to detain vessels linked to Russia were unacceptable.

He warned that Russia would respond in kind if such actions were taken, with the response not necessarily occurring in the same waters where the seized ships were detained. Instead, Moscow could retaliate "in any area where we see it as necessary and appropriate," including in the Pacific. Admiral Viktor Liina, the chief of the Pacific Fleet, informed Putin that the navy was prepared to initiate inspections of commercial ships serving "unfriendly nations."

Many of these ships operated by British, French, and other European carriers were flying the flags of other nations, effectively making them part of a "shadow fleet." Liina stated that the Russian military had sufficient assets for inspection purposes.