Russia Threatens Naval Escorts for Shadow Fleet as Europe Weighs Tanker Seizures

The guided-missile cruiser Moskva once patrolled the Black Sea as a symbol of Russian naval power. On Tuesday, a different kind of warship diplomacy was on display — not in open water, but in the pages of a Moscow newspaper, where one of the Kremlin's most powerful security officials laid out a vision of armed convoys protecting Russia's sanctioned oil tankers from Western governments that he accused of outright piracy.

Nikolai Patrushev, a former director of the FSB who now chairs Russia's Maritime Board and serves as a presidential aide to Vladimir Putin, told the newspaper Argumenty i Fakty that the Russian navy should be prepared to escort merchant vessels and, if necessary, forcibly break any European attempt to blockade Russian shipping Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘western piracy’theguardian.com·SecondaryOfficial says blockade on ‘shadow fleet’ would be illegal, and raises prospect of retaliation against European vessels A senior Russian official has said Moscow could deploy its navy to protect Russian-linked vessels from potential European seizures, raising the prospect of retaliatory action against European shipping as pressure on the Kremlin’s so-called shadow fleet intensifies.. "If a peaceful resolution to this situation fails, the blockade will be broken and eliminated by the navy," Patrushev said, in what amounted to the most explicit maritime threat Moscow has issued since the start of the Ukraine conflict Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states..

The interview, published on Monday, went further than previous Russian complaints about Western sanctions enforcement. Patrushev specifically named the United Kingdom, France, and the Baltic states as potential adversaries, warning that "if we do not resist decisively, the English, the French, and even the Balts will soon be so bold as to try to block access to the seas for our country, at least in the Atlantic Basin" Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states.. He called for the permanent deployment of "substantial forces" in major maritime areas, including regions far from Russian territorial waters, "capable of cooling the ardour of Western pirates" Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states..

The threat did not emerge in a vacuum. Over the past several months, European governments have moved from rhetoric to action against what they call Russia's "shadow fleet" — an estimated network of some 1,500 aging, often poorly insured oil tankers that operate under opaque ownership structures to help Moscow circumvent Western price caps and sanctions on Russian crude Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘western piracy’theguardian.com·SecondaryOfficial says blockade on ‘shadow fleet’ would be illegal, and raises prospect of retaliation against European vessels A senior Russian official has said Moscow could deploy its navy to protect Russian-linked vessels from potential European seizures, raising the prospect of retaliatory action against European shipping as pressure on the Kremlin’s so-called shadow fleet intensifies.. The European Union has listed 598 vessels suspected of belonging to this fleet, banning them from European ports and maritime services Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states.. The measures have been credited with curtailing Russian oil revenues, which fund the country's military operations in Ukraine.

France has been at the forefront of enforcement. In January, French naval forces intercepted a tanker named Grinch in the Mediterranean between Spain and Morocco, accusing it of operating as part of the shadow fleet . The vessel was escorted to a port near Marseille, where it was held for three weeks. On the same day that Patrushev's interview was published, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced the Grinch's release after its owner paid a fine of "several million euros" Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states.. "Bypassing European sanctions comes at a price," Barrot wrote on X. "Russia will no longer be able to fund its war with impunity through a ghost fleet off our coasts" Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states..

The Grinch was not an isolated case. In September 2025, France detained another Russian-linked vessel, the Boracay, which was sailing under a claimed Beninese flag. Putin personally condemned that seizure as "piracy" Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states.. The Boracay's Chinese captain is scheduled to stand trial in France next week, a legal proceeding that could set precedents for how European courts handle shadow fleet enforcement.

The United States has taken an even more muscular approach. In January, US special forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker called the Marinera in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit, citing violations of sanctions on Venezuela Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states.. Russia's Ministry of Transport protested that the seizure violated international maritime law. Yet Patrushev's interview was notable for directing its fire almost exclusively at Europe, a possible signal that Moscow is reluctant to escalate tensions with Washington while US-brokered peace talks over Ukraine continue in Geneva.

At the Munich Security Conference last weekend, British Defence Secretary John Healey convened a meeting with counterparts from ten Nordic and Baltic nations to discuss coordinated operations to seize shadow fleet tankers Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘western piracy’theguardian.com·SecondaryOfficial says blockade on ‘shadow fleet’ would be illegal, and raises prospect of retaliation against European vessels A senior Russian official has said Moscow could deploy its navy to protect Russian-linked vessels from potential European seizures, raising the prospect of retaliatory action against European shipping as pressure on the Kremlin’s so-called shadow fleet intensifies.. According to Bloomberg, the participants included members of the Joint Expeditionary Force, a UK-led coalition of northern European militaries Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘western piracy’theguardian.com·SecondaryOfficial says blockade on ‘shadow fleet’ would be illegal, and raises prospect of retaliation against European vessels A senior Russian official has said Moscow could deploy its navy to protect Russian-linked vessels from potential European seizures, raising the prospect of retaliatory action against European shipping as pressure on the Kremlin’s so-called shadow fleet intensifies.. The discussions reportedly focused on developing a shared legal framework for boarding and impounding vessels suspected of sanctions evasion — precisely the kind of coordinated action that Patrushev's threats appear designed to deter.

Critics of the European approach argue that physically confronting Russian tankers risks a dangerous escalation with a nuclear-armed power over what are, at their core, commercial shipping disputes. Patrushev himself framed the situation in military terms, claiming that NATO is forming "multinational forces with offensive capabilities" near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea and accusing Europeans of "deliberately pursuing a scenario of military escalation, testing the limits of our patience" Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states.. Some Western analysts have noted that Russia's surface navy, badly weakened by losses in the Black Sea during the Ukraine war, may lack the capacity to sustain escort operations across multiple ocean basins simultaneously.

Proponents of a tougher line counter that the shadow fleet poses not only a sanctions enforcement problem but an environmental and safety hazard. Many of the vessels are decades old, poorly maintained, and underinsured, raising the risk of oil spills in ecologically sensitive waters such as the Baltic Sea and the English Channel. Denmark and Estonia have been particularly vocal about the threat, citing near-misses and environmental incidents involving shadow fleet tankers transiting their coastal waters.

The legal landscape remains murky. Patrushev dismissed the entire concept of a "shadow fleet" as a "legal fiction" with no basis in international law, arguing that any attempt to impose a maritime blockade on Russia would itself be illegal Kremlin official says Russian navy to stop West’s seizure of merchant shipsaljazeera.com·SecondaryA senior Kremlin official has warned that Russia’s navy could deploy to stop Western powers from seizing Russian vessels as part of sanctions against the country’s oil shipments and Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet”. Nikolai Patrushev, a Kremlin aide with responsibility for shipping and a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was quoted on Tuesday as saying that Russia needed to send a strong message – particularly ‌to the United Kingdom, France and Baltic states.. Western allies have countered that vessels lacking proper documentation, insurance, or flag-state oversight may be classified as stateless ships under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which would widen the scope for lawful intervention Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘western piracy’theguardian.com·SecondaryOfficial says blockade on ‘shadow fleet’ would be illegal, and raises prospect of retaliation against European vessels A senior Russian official has said Moscow could deploy its navy to protect Russian-linked vessels from potential European seizures, raising the prospect of retaliatory action against European shipping as pressure on the Kremlin’s so-called shadow fleet intensifies..

The standoff is unfolding against the backdrop of the broader Ukraine conflict, where Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Geneva on Tuesday for a third round of US-brokered peace talks Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘western piracy’theguardian.com·SecondaryOfficial says blockade on ‘shadow fleet’ would be illegal, and raises prospect of retaliation against European vessels A senior Russian official has said Moscow could deploy its navy to protect Russian-linked vessels from potential European seizures, raising the prospect of retaliatory action against European shipping as pressure on the Kremlin’s so-called shadow fleet intensifies.. Ahead of the negotiations, Russia carried out heavy airstrikes across Ukraine, severely damaging the power network in the southern port city of Odesa and leaving tens of thousands without heat and water, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘western piracy’theguardian.com·SecondaryOfficial says blockade on ‘shadow fleet’ would be illegal, and raises prospect of retaliation against European vessels A senior Russian official has said Moscow could deploy its navy to protect Russian-linked vessels from potential European seizures, raising the prospect of retaliatory action against European shipping as pressure on the Kremlin’s so-called shadow fleet intensifies.. The timing of Patrushev's interview — published as talks began — suggested a deliberate effort to project strength and signal that Moscow will not tolerate what it sees as economic warfare at sea, even as it engages in diplomacy on land.

What happens next may depend on whether European governments follow through on the Munich discussions with concrete seizure operations, or whether the threat of Russian naval retaliation proves sufficient to slow the momentum. For now, the shadow fleet continues to operate — aging tankers moving Russian crude through contested waters, shadowed by the competing interests of sanctions enforcement, energy security, and the ever-present risk of miscalculation at sea.