Moscow (Rajeev Sharma): Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a stern warning of potential military and naval retaliation against Western states for intercepting Russian-linked merchant ships, characterising the enforcement actions as state-sponsored piracy. Speaking during an inspection aboard a naval warship participating in Pacific drills, Putin declared that Western interdictions breach international maritime laws and frameworks. He asserted that Moscow retains the right to execute symmetrical responses across any maritime zone it deems appropriate, emphasising that retaliatory measures will not be confined geographically to areas where Russian vessels have been detained.
During the high-level naval briefing, Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Viktor Liina reported that Russian naval forces are fully equipped and ready to initiate inspections and detentions of commercial shipping tied to designated non-friendly nations. Liina noted that many European carriers utilise flags of convenience, forming an opposing shadow fleet that could be targeted under reciprocal protocols. To deter further interdictions, Russian naval warships have already begun escorting domestic commercial vessels through sensitive maritime transit corridors.
The heightened rhetoric follows increased maritime operations by European governments, including the United Kingdom and France, aimed at intercepting oil tankers suspected of operating within Moscow’s shadow fleet to circumvent international sanctions. Reinforcing the Kremlin’s firm stance, Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev warned that Russian military forces possess the operational capability to expand targeting operations against hostile commercial shipping far beyond the Black Sea basin
