Putin threatens retaliation for Western seizures of Russian commercial vessels
Summary
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia will retaliate against Western countries that seize Russian commercial ships, calling such actions piracy. He said Russia may respond anywhere it sees fit, including areas far from where the ships were seized, and that the Russian navy is prepared to inspect and detain vessels from countries opposing Russia.Key Facts
- President Putin called the seizure of Russian commercial vessels by Western countries "piracy and robbery."
- He threatened that Russia will respond in kind, possibly in any location, not just where ships were taken.
- Putin made these remarks while visiting a Russian warship during a naval exercise in the Pacific.
- Admiral Viktor Liina, chief of Russia’s Pacific Fleet, said the navy is ready to inspect and detain ships from "unfriendly nations" and their "shadow fleets."
- The "shadow fleet" refers to ships owned or operated by countries like Britain, France, and others but sailing under different nations’ flags to avoid sanctions.
- Western countries, including France and the UK, have detained tankers suspected of violating sanctions by shipping Russian oil.
- Russia is believed to use hundreds of ships to evade sanctions imposed after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- Russia has started deploying warships to protect its commercial vessels amid these tensions.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
