Putin Threatens Retaliation After British Seizure of Tanker
London dismisses Moscow's accusations, insisting the Russian tanker was stopped in full accordance with international law.
London dismisses Moscow's accusations, insisting the Russian tanker was stopped in full accordance with international law.
The British government defended the seizure of the Russian tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel on Thursday, after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened retaliation and called the operation piracy. According to London, the military and police acted in line with international norms.
In June, British Royal Marines intercepted the vessel and boarded it. This was the first operation conducted by the British against ships under sanctions from the so-called 'shadow fleet.' After the intervention, the Russian tanker Smyrtos was anchored off Weymouth.
The ship's captain, Ajay Pant, has been charged with violating sanctions imposed on Russia. British authorities accuse him of being involved, either directly or indirectly, in the supply or delivery of banned Russian oil. This move is part of London's broader plan to make it harder for ships linked to Russian energy exports to operate.
The 'shadow fleet' refers to vessels used to circumvent international sanctions and restrictions related to Russian oil. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, Russia has more than 700 such ships, which carry 75 percent of sanctioned Russian oil. The ministry describes this oil as a "critical lifeline for the Kremlin" in "sustaining Russia's illegal war."
Putin spoke about the seizure on Wednesday while overseeing Russian navy exercises in the Pacific Ocean. He accused Western countries of seizing Russian ships and claimed that such actions are nothing but piracy and banditry.
"If these plans begin to be implemented, we will have to respond in kind," Putin warned. "And not necessarily in the waters where attacks on our ships and vessels are planned, but wherever we deem it necessary and appropriate, anywhere."
Commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet, Viktor Liina, went a step further. He accused Britain and France of having their own shadow fleets and stated that Russia has the capabilities to inspect and detain ships of countries it considers hostile.
"We have the capacity to inspect and detain ships of hostile states and their shadow fleets, and interagency cooperation is established, ready to begin addressing these challenges," Liina said.
A spokesperson for the British government emphasized that the UK's armed forces and commercial vessels operate in accordance with international maritime law.
"The UK disrupts and deters shadow fleet vessels and their harmful maritime activities that fuel Russia's war against Ukraine," the spokesperson said.
He added that, unlike Russia's shadow fleet, "British armed forces and commercial vessels operate firmly in accordance with international maritime law."
Putin's statements come as the European Union intensifies pressure on Russia's shadow fleet. The Russian president specifically accused the EU, claiming that member states are violating international maritime law and "trying to restrict the movement of vessels belonging to our economic entities."
Many Western countries imposed sanctions on Russian energy following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Moscow is accused of circumventing them by transporting oil on aging tankers with often unclear ownership or insurance. To counter this tactic, the EU began sanctioning individual shadow fleet vessels in 2024, which the European Council, the bloc's highest body of national leaders, called "Putin's dark fleet."
As of mid-August 2026, more than 630 ships have been sanctioned, meaning they are banned from entering EU ports. Simultaneously, several European countries have seized or detained ships linked to Russia. The Italian navy, in cooperation with other EU countries, recently boarded a tanker in the central Mediterranean suspected of not being entitled to fly the flag it claimed. Since the beginning of the year, nine shadow fleet tankers suspected of circumventing sanctions have been seized in the EU.
