Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow is prepared to respond in kind if European countries continue to detain Russian merchant ships. He made these remarks during a meeting with servicemen of the Pacific Fleet aboard the missile cruiser Varyag, as reported by Dengi.ua, citing The Moscow Times.
According to Putin, the authorities of several European countries are allegedly attempting to restrict the movement of vessels operated by Russian economic entities, in violation of international maritime law. He specifically mentioned plans for the possible seizure of Russian vessels and the sale of their assets.
The Russian president warned that Moscow might take similar measures if European intentions are carried out. At the same time, he said, retaliatory actions would not necessarily take place in the same areas where Russian vessels are being detained.
He also stated that the Russian Ministry of Defense has already been instructed to prepare for such a scenario.
For his part, Viktor Liyna, Commander of the Pacific Fleet, stated that the Russian military had conducted a “detailed analysis” of shipping traffic in the Asia-Pacific region. According to him, the Russian side has information on the ships’ routes, their cargoes, and their ownership.
Liyna reported that from April 24 to August 6, 2026, 1,001 vessels passed through Russia’s exclusive economic zone along the Kuril Islands. Of these, 379 were flying the flags of countries that Moscow considers unfriendly. Among them were 273 dry cargo ships and 71 tankers, including 26 British and nine French vessels.
Putin’s statements came amid intensified measures by European countries against Russia’s “shadow fleet.” In July, as part of its 21st sanctions package, the EU approved a mechanism allowing member states to confiscate and sell Russian oil from ships used to circumvent sanctions. Similar measures also apply to grain.
Since the beginning of 2026, authorities in EU countries and the United Kingdom have detained five tankers carrying Russian oil. Specifically, on July 20, the MV South Star was stopped during an operation by European countries. France had previously detained the tankers Grinch, Deyna, and Tagor, but all three vessels were subsequently released.
Since June 14, the UK has been detaining the tanker Smyrtos, which has approximately 100,000 metric tons of oil on board. In addition, in March, Sweden detained the dry cargo ship Caffa in the Baltic Sea. According to Ukrainian authorities, the vessel was used to transport grain from the occupied territories. In August, the Swedish Supreme Court ruled that it should be handed over to Ukraine.