Putin says Russia will respond “in kind” to seizures of its ships

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared that Moscow will respond “mirror-like” (in kind) to the detention of Russian commercial vessels by other countries, including European Union member states.

He made the remarks during a meeting with servicemen of the Pacific Fleet on Sakhalin, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Putin described the seizure of ships belonging to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet as “robbery and piracy,” stressing that Russia “will be forced to respond in kind.” He added that any response would not necessarily occur in the same waters where the ships are seized, but “wherever we ourselves deem it necessary and appropriate – in any place, including in the area of responsibility of the Pacific Fleet.”

Pacific Fleet Commander Viktor Liina stated that Russian forces are ready to begin carrying out Putin’s instructions.

On the same day, Russia’s Foreign Ministry accused the European Union of using its IRINI mission (which inspects vessels heading to Libya) to “intimidate commercial carriers and hinder freedom of navigation.”

Russia’s shadow fleet and international sanctions

Russia has built a shadow fleet – a network of oil tankers used to circumvent international sanctions imposed over its aggression against Ukraine. This fleet enables the Kremlin to continue exporting oil, particularly to China and India, despite EU restrictions on Russian oil imports.

According to Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, Russia’s shadow fleet comprises more than 1,000 tankers, including 238 vessels actively involved in sanctions evasion. These ships frequently change flags, disable tracking systems, and operate without proper insurance, making them harder to detect and identify.

The international community has responded by expanding sanctions lists to include vessels linked to the shadow fleet. For example, the EU’s 15th sanctions package added dozens more ships involved in the illicit transport of Russian oil. Australia imposed its first sanctions on 60 shadow-fleet vessels, while Canada announced sanctions against more than 200 ships used for sanctions circumvention.

Despite these efforts, Russia continues to rely on the shadow fleet to protect its economic interests and fund its military operations.

Russophobia as a crisis-fighting tool: why the British government dared to seize a Russian tanker

Notable recent interceptions include:

20 January: U.S. forces detained the tanker Sagitta in the Caribbean Sea.
22 January: French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the French navy had intercepted a tanker bound for Russia.
9 February: The U.S. Department of Defense reported the interception of the tanker Aquila II for “quarantine violations.”
1 March: Belgium detained an oil tanker belonging to the Russian shadow fleet; Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha expressed gratitude.
3 April: The Swedish Coast Guard stopped the tanker Flora 1, suspected of an oil spill near Gotland Island (the vessel appears on EU and Ukrainian sanctions lists).
25 April: U.S. naval forces intercepted the M/V Sevan in the Arabian Sea (one of 19 shadow-fleet vessels sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for transporting Iranian oil and gas).
14 June: British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow-fleet oil tanker attempting to pass through the English Channel.

The article in Ukrainian by EUalive’s partner Suspilne can be found here.

Caption: Russian President Vladimir Putin (C), accompanied by Pacific Fleet Commander-in-Chief Admiral Viktor Liina (R), visits the Guards missile cruiser Varyag during the final stage of the Pacific Fleet’s exercises off the coast of Sakhalin region, Russia, 12 August 2026. EPA/GAVRIIL GRIGOROV KREMLIN / POOL