Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned on Wednesday that Russia will independently select targets for retaliation against Western countries seizing shadow fleet vessels, escalating rhetoric in a maritime dispute that has strained relations between Moscow and the European Union.
In an interview with the Vesti television network recorded August 13, Lavrov said the response would not necessarily occur in the same waters where Western forces intercept Russian ships. “We will choose the goals ourselves, and we will decide how to deal with these vessels,” Lavrov stated, adding that Russia would respond in any area it deems “necessary and appropriate.”
The comments came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin called Western seizures of shadow fleet tankers “nothing other than piracy and banditry” while overseeing naval exercises in the Pacific. Putin warned that Moscow would be “forced to respond in kind,” noting potential retaliation could extend to the Pacific region.
Lavrov accused the European Union of inventing the term “shadow fleet” to justify seizing any vessels that refuse to comply with Brussels directives. He said the EU has placed itself above international law by labeling ships flying any flag as part of the shadow fleet simply for not obeying European authorities.
The dispute has intensified over recent months as Western nations have stepped up enforcement. The UK intercepted the tanker SMYRTOS in the English Channel in June in its first such operation, while France detained the Tagor in May and Sweden seized a vessel in March. More than 630 vessels are now sanctioned as of mid-August 2026, meaning they are banned from EU ports.
Western governments estimate Russia’s shadow fleet comprises over 700 ships that transport roughly 75 percent of sanctioned Russian oil. The EU, UK and US have targeted the network as part of broader efforts to curb revenues funding Russia’s war in Ukraine, but Moscow has responded with increasingly aggressive naval posturing, including deploying fighter jets to deter enforcement actions.
Putin aide Nikolay Patrushev, who heads a naval policymaking body, also called in a separate interview for forceful action beyond diplomacy, warning that attempts to paralyze Russian foreign trade would intensify. The coordinated messaging from senior Russian officials signals a hardening stance as Western enforcement efforts expand across European waters.
Sources: AP News, BBC News, Vesti Interview Coverage
discussion