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Putin Warns of Retaliation for Seizures08/12 06:25
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday threatened retaliation for
Western seizures of its commercial vessels, describing them as "piracy."
MOSCOW (AP) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday threatened
retaliation for Western seizures of its commercial vessels, describing them as
"piracy."
Speaking on a visit to a Russian warship that was taking part in a naval
exercise in the Pacific, Putin described the Western moves to detain vessels
linked to Russia as a breach of international maritime law.
"It's nothing but piracy and robbery," Putin said. "If this is done, we will
be forced to respond in kind."
He added that the Russian response wouldn't necessarily come in the waters
where the Russian ships were seized, noting that Moscow could retaliate "in any
area where we see it as necessary and appropriate," including in the Pacific.
The Pacific Fleet chief, Adm. Viktor Liina, reported to Putin that the navy
was ready to start inspections of the commercial ships serving the "unfriendly
nations." He noted that many of the ships operated by British, French and other
European carriers fly the flags of other nations, effectively making them a
"shadow fleet."
"We have enough assets for inspection and detention of vessels of the
unfriendly nations and their shadow fleet," Liina told Putin. "We are ready to
start performing the task."
Russia is believed to be using a fleet of hundreds of ships to evade
international sanctions imposed after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in
February 2022.
France and the U.K. have detained tankers suspected of being of Russia's
"shadow fleet" shipping oil in violation of international sanctions. The EU has
sanctioned hundreds of "shadow fleet" ships.
Russia has recently started deploying warships to escort its commercial
vessels.
Dmitry Medvedev, who served as Russia's president in 2008-2012 to let Putin
observe term limits and is now deputy head of Russia's Security Council, noted
that many ships belonging to European carriers fly the so-called "flags of
convenience" just like Russian carriers do.
"It means that by applying a symmetrical approach, which is only fair,
Russia has the right to attack any merchant vessel belonging to hostile
nations, whether in our waters or in neutral waters, provided there are
reasonable grounds to suspect it is carrying cargo in the enemy's interest, and
that applies to any cargo," Medvedev said. "There are a great many such
vessels, and our military is capable of dramatically expanding operations well
beyond the Black Sea basin."
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