Moscow says it knows where Western ships sail as Putin threatens to seize vessels
The warning comes as European countries step up efforts to disrupt Russia's maritime oil trade and its so-called shadow fleet.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warns Europe against seizing Russian ships, calling it piracy and plunder. Gavriil Grigorov/Pool/ AFP/Getty Images Russian Pacific Fleet claims to know the routes and cargoes of Western commercial vessels, as Europe intensifies efforts to disrupt Russia's maritime oil trade and shadow fleet. The warning follows European countries stepping up naval boardings of sanctioned ships, including the UK's boarding of a sanctioned Russian tanker off the coast of England.
On August 2, Italian forces operating under Operation Irini boarded a sanctioned Russian tanker in international waters to verify its nationality. Oil and gas are crucial sources of revenue for Moscow, and Western governments aim to weaken that revenue through sanctions targeting Russia's energy trade and transport ships. Russia's economy shows signs of strain, with GDP growth slowing in the second quarter.
Ukraine has also targeted Russia's energy infrastructure to disrupt a significant revenue stream for Moscow.
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