Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday threatened retaliation for Western seizures of its commercial vessels, describing them as "piracy."
International Tensions Rise
Speaking on a visit to a Russian warship that was taking part in a naval exercise in the Pacific, Putin described the Western moves to detain vessels linked to Russia as a breach of international maritime law. "It’s nothing but piracy and robbery," Putin said. "If this is done, we will be forced to respond in kind."
Russia is believed to be using a fleet of hundreds of ships to evade international sanctions imposed after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. France and the U.K. have detained tankers suspected of being of Russia’s "shadow fleet" shipping oil in violation of international sanctions.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
