Russian president, speaking from the cruiser Varyag, announces seizure of Western ships in response to confiscation of Russian assets. Admiral Liina confirms readiness for inspections and detention of vessels.
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation against Western countries on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, for the seizure of Russian merchant ships, calling such actions "piracy and banditry." Speaking from the Russian cruiser Varyag off the coast of Sakhalin Island, where naval exercises are underway in the Far East, he hinted that Moscow's response would not be limited to areas where the ships were seized.
"We have noticed that the authorities of certain countries have recently considered the possibility of seizing our ships and selling the goods they have stolen from us," Putin said, adding that if this happens, Russia will respond in kind. He emphasized that Moscow will act "wherever it deems necessary and appropriate, anywhere," including in the Pacific Ocean region.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and former president of Russia (2008-2012), clarified what such retaliation would mean in practice. He noted that many ships owned by European carriers sail under "flags of convenience," which gives Russia the right to act broadly.
"This means that, applying a symmetrical approach, which is only fair, Russia has the right to target any merchant ship belonging to hostile states, whether in our waters or in neutral waters, provided there are reasonable grounds to suspect it is carrying cargo in the interests of the enemy," Medvedev said. He added that this applies to any type of cargo and that the Russian military is "capable of significantly expanding operations far beyond the Black Sea region."
Admiral Viktor Liina, commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet, reported to Putin that the navy has sufficient resources to inspect and detain vessels of "hostile nations and their shadow fleet." "We are ready to begin carrying out the task," Admiral Liina said.
Tensions have escalated after Sweden and France were among the countries that seized ships suspected of belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet," which the Kremlin uses to circumvent Western sanctions. Sweden seized a cargo ship in early March 2026, and in late July, the European Union approved new sanctions that pave the way for the sale of oil and other goods from these vessels. In the background, there are also high tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, where Kyiv and Seoul accuse Pyongyang and Moscow of intensifying military cooperation.
