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Putin threatens to seize EU ships in shadow fleet retaliation
The threat comes after the EU added 41 vessels to its shadow-fleet blacklist in its 21st sanctions package, bringing the total to 673, and tightened rules on services used to move Russian oil.
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to “respond in kind” if European countries confiscate Russian ships or sell cargo from detained vessels, a move that would raise the risk of direct Russian interference with commercial shipping, according to OilPrice citing RFE/RL and Reuters.
The warning follows EU sanctions actions aimed at Russia’s shadow oil fleet. OilPrice reports that the EU’s 21st sanctions package, adopted July 23, added 41 vessels to the blacklist, bringing sanctioned shadow-fleet vessels to 673.
OilPrice also notes that Brussels expanded restrictions to companies providing bunkering and other services to the shadow fleet, and targeted entities working on behalf of Russian oil producers.
On enforcement momentum, OilPrice said European authorities had seized nine suspected shadow-fleet tankers across Europe by late June, including four by France, and that British forces intercepted the sanctioned tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel.