Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘Western piracy’
Moscow will use its naval power if Western countries continue seizing ships tied to its merchant fleet, a senior Russian official has said.
Nikolai Patrushev, an aide to President Vladimir Putin and head of Russia’s Maritime Board, said in an interview on Tuesday that the navy must be prepared to counter what he described as “Western piracy.”
He warned that further interference with Russian-linked vessels could prompt a direct maritime response.
“If this situation cannot be resolved peacefully, the navy will break any blockade and move to eliminate it,” he said, adding, “Let us not forget that many vessels sail the seas under European flags. We, too, may take an interest in what they are carrying and where they are headed.”
Patrushev stated that any attempt to impose a maritime blockade on Russia would violate international law. He also dismissed the European Union’s use of the term “Shadow Fleet,” saying it lacked legal standing.
"If we do not give them a strong resistance, then soon the British, the French and even the Baltics will become arrogant to such an extent that they will try to completely block our country's access to the seas, at least in the Atlantic basin," he concluded.
In recent months, the majority of Russian merchant vessels have continued operating without disruption.
However, several ships believed to be having Russian links have been boarded or detained by European authorities, including in France, Germany, Finland and Italy, both at ports and at sea.
On January 22, the French Navy boarded and detained a Russian oil tanker later identified as the Grinch.
The operation was publicized by French President Emmanuel Macron as a move aimed at limiting Moscow’s ability to sustain its military campaign in Ukraine.
The vessel was released on Tuesday, the same day Patrushev made his remarks, after a fine amounting to several million euros was paid.
Patrushev’s statements came as Russian and Ukrainian officials met in Geneva for a new round of negotiations brokered by US President Donald Trump, ahead of the fourth anniversary of the war.
Prior to talks, both sides carried out overnight air and ground strikes along sections of the frontline, with Russian forces reporting significant losses inflicted on Ukrainian troops.
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