Putin warns of tit-for-tat seizures of European vessels

What the report says

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow could seize European vessels if European governments move ahead with efforts to detain more ships carrying Russian cargo. The warning came on Wednesday during Putin’s visit to a Russian navy cruiser near Sakhalin Island in the far east, where he was observing the final phase of a Pacific Fleet drill, according to Al Jazeera’s report and Russian state media cited in it.

Putin said Russia would answer "in kind" if countries try to restrict the movement of ships linked to Russian economic operators or seize vessels and sell their cargo. He described such actions as piracy and said instructions had already been given to the defence ministry and the Pacific Fleet. The remarks appear tied to recent European enforcement actions against tankers suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which Western governments say has been used to move oil around sanctions.

The article says new sanctions adopted last month allow European Union members to sell oil or other cargo seized from such ships. It also notes that Putin used the setting to accuse NATO of expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific and raising tensions in the Arctic. The exchange underscores how the war in Ukraine continues to feed broader security friction between Russia and Western states, including at sea and in other regions.