Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking on Wednesday while aboard a Russian cruiser during naval drills off the Pacific island of Sakhalin, threatened to seize European vessels if EU member states continue intercepting commercial ships carrying Russian cargo, warning that Moscow would respond 'wherever we deem it necessary and appropriate.' The remarks followed the UK's boarding and seizure of the tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel by Royal Marines Commandos — described as a first-of-its-kind operation — and a broader pattern of European nations detaining vessels suspected of circumventing sanctions on Russian oil.
UK defends tanker seizure as Putin threatens to seize European vessels in retaliation
Russian President Vladimir Putin, speaking on Wednesday while aboard a Russian cruiser during naval drills off the Pacific island of Sakhalin, threatened to seize European vessels if EU member states continue intercepting commercial ships carrying Russian cargo, warning that Moscow would respond 'wherever we deem it necessary and appropriate.' The remarks followed the UK's boarding and seizure of the tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel by Royal Marines Commandos — described as a first-of-its-kind operation — and a broader pattern of European nations detaining vessels suspected of circumventing sanctions on Russian oil.
The Smyrtos was taken to anchor off Weymouth after Royal Marines boarded it in June, according to BBC News. The vessel's captain, Ajay Pant, has been charged with breaching Russian sanctions, accused of directly or indirectly supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil.
Putin, addressing Russian sailors during Pacific Fleet exercises, characterised Western seizures of Russian-linked vessels as 'piracy and banditry' — also described as 'piracy and robbery' according to Al Jazeera, citing Russia's RIA Novosti news agency. He said Russia had already delivered 'relevant instructions' to its Ministry of Defence and Pacific Fleet.
The UK government responded by stating that its armed forces and law-enforcement officers had boarded the Smyrtos 'in full accordance with international law,' and that the operation aimed at 'disrupting and deterring shadow fleet vessels and their harmful maritime activity which is fuelling Russia's war with Ukraine,' according to BBC News. A government spokesperson added that, unlike Russia's shadow fleet, UK armed forces and commercial vessels operate in line with international maritime law.
Western nations allege Russia has operated a shadow fleet of aged tankers, often with obscure ownership or insurance, to ship oil in circumvention of sanctions imposed following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to BBC News, the UK Ministry of Defence says Russia's shadow fleet comprises more than 700 vessels responsible for carrying 75 percent of the country's sanctioned oil, which the MoD describes as a critical lifeline for sustaining Russia's war effort.
The EU began sanctioning individual shadow fleet vessels in 2024, and more than 630 vessels were sanctioned as of mid-August 2026, banning them from EU ports, according to BBC News. New sanctions passed last month permit EU members to sell oil or other cargo seized from such ships, according to Al Jazeera. Putin appeared to reference those measures, saying certain countries 'came up with the idea of possibly seizing our ships and selling off property stolen from us.'
According to BBC News, since the start of the year nine shadow fleet tankers suspected of circumventing sanctions have been seized around the EU. Most recently, the Italian navy, in conjunction with other EU countries, boarded a tanker in the central Mediterranean suspected of flying a flag it was not entitled to use, though that inspection did not result in a seizure.
Viktor Liina, commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet, accused Western countries including Britain and France of operating their own shadow fleets and stated that Russia has 'the capacity to inspect and detain vessels of unfriendly states,' according to BBC News.
Putin also accused NATO of making inroads into the Asia Pacific region and heightening tension in the Arctic, according to Al Jazeera. Russia's naval exercises in the western Pacific took place a week before scheduled joint US-South Korean war games designed to simulate a possible North Korean invasion, according to Al Jazeera. Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday accused Russia of using North Korean missiles in an air raid across Ukraine, and warned that Moscow was receiving additional ballistic projectiles and troops from Pyongyang.
Where sources differ
- Putin's characterisation of the seizures differs slightly between sources: BBC News quotes him using the phrase 'piracy and banditry,' while Al Jazeera, citing RIA Novosti, renders it as 'piracy and robbery.'
- BBC News reports Putin's warning was delivered while he was 'overseeing Russian navy drills in the Pacific Ocean,' whereas Al Jazeera specifies he was aboard a Russian cruiser off the Pacific island of Sakhalin.
- The EU had not responded to BBC News's request for comment at the time of reporting.
- The owner or operator of the Smyrtos has not been quoted or identified in either source.
- The legal basis under which the Smyrtos was boarded and the specific international law provisions cited are not detailed in either source.
- The outcome or current status of the charges against captain Ajay Pant is not established.
- It is not confirmed in any source whether Russia has taken any concrete steps toward seizing European vessels beyond Putin's verbal warning.
- The specific EU sanctions passed 'last month' referenced by Al Jazeera are not named or described in detail in either source.
- Russia's government has not provided a formal legal justification for its claimed right to detain Western commercial vessels.
- BBC News — original — by Joshua Nevett
- Al Jazeera English — by Al Jazeera Staff