Russia Vows to Counter Western Naval Blockade Attempts
In a discussion with a Russian publication, Russian Presidential Aide and Chairman of the Maritime Board Nikolay Patrushev labeled the recent seizure of Russian oil tankers as "piratical, in essence, attacks."
On January 22, the French Navy intercepted and held the oil tanker Grinch in the Western Mediterranean while it was en route from Murmansk. Authorities suspected that the tanker was part of Russia’s "shadow fleet," which is allegedly used to circumvent international sanctions.
Since the end of 2025, Ukraine has escalated assaults on Russian tankers through the deployment of Sea Baby naval drones. Ships such as Kairos, Virat, Dashan, Elbus, and others were targeted in the Black Sea, while in December, the tanker Qendil was struck by drones in the Mediterranean Sea.
At the Munich Security Conference this month, representatives from the UK, Baltic nations, and Scandinavian countries deliberated the possibility of systematically detaining vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet. Over 600 of these ships have already faced sanctions imposed by the European Union, the UK, and the US.
Patrushev remarked that these measures demonstrate that Russia's Western adversaries aim to attack one of the most critical areas of the Russian economy — foreign trade — intending to bring it to a standstill.
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