Russian Navy to Halt Seizure of Merchant Ships by Western Forces

Moscow Warns Western Powers Over Seizure of Russian Vessels

A Kremlin official has stated that Russia’s navy may be deployed to prevent Western powers from seizing vessels carrying Moscow’s oil, amid sanctions imposed on the country’s shipping industry. Nikolai Patrushev, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, made these comments in an interview with Moscow’s Argumenty i Fakty newspaper.

Patrushev emphasized the importance of naval presence in maintaining navigation safety and warned that Western countries’ actions could lead to further aggression. He specifically mentioned the United Kingdom, France, and Baltic states as targets for Russia’s response.

Russia requires access to international shipping lanes to maintain its economy, particularly in the transportation of oil, grain, and fertilizers. Patrushev accused Western powers of targeting a crucial sector of the Russian economy.

The US military has previously seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker, citing violations of US sanctions on Venezuela. France has also detained vessels linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which is believed to be a network of merchant vessels operated by Russia to evade sanctions imposed due to its invasion of Ukraine.

In response to the seizures, French authorities have released one of the detained vessels after its owner paid a fine. The European Union has listed 598 vessels suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” as banned from European ports and maritime services.

Source: Al Jazeera