Kremlin Official Says Russian Navy to Stop West’s Seizure of Merchant Ships

A senior Kremlin official has issued a stark warning this week that the Russian Navy could be deployed to prevent Western navies from intercepting or seizing Russian merchant vessels — a move that risks escalating geopolitical tensions over sanctions, maritime law, and global trade routes.
Nikolai Patrushev, a longtime close ally of Vladimir Putin and a top Kremlin adviser, told the Russian newspaper Argumenty i Fakty that recent actions by Western powers — particularly the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and several Baltic states — constitute what he termed “piracy‑like attacks” on Russian shipping, and that Moscow must be prepared to respond decisively.
“We believe that, as at all times, the best guarantor of navigation safety is the navy,” Patrushev said, framing the potential naval response as a defensive necessity to protect Russia’s economic lifelines rather than an act of aggression. “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.”
Backdrop: Sanctions and the “Shadow Fleet”
The comments come amid intensifying Western efforts to cut off Russia’s access to global trade and cripple key sectors of its economy through sanctions linked to its ongoing war in Ukraine. Western governments have targeted what they call Russia’s “shadow fleet” — a network of tankers and cargo vessels that aim to circumvent sanctions by reflagging, opaque ownership, and indirect trading routes.
In recent months, both European and U.S. forces have boarded or seized several Russia‑linked vessels. In January, U.S. forces intercepted a Russian‑flagged tanker in the North Atlantic suspected of violating sanctions tied to Venezuela, while French authorities detained a vessel dubbed the Grinch in the Mediterranean before ultimately releasing it after a multimillion‑euro fine was paid.
Western officials counter that such actions adhere to international law and form part of broader efforts to enforce sanctions designed to weaken Russia’s ability to finance its military aggression. France’s foreign minister described the penalty on the Grinch as a necessary response to efforts to undermine sanctions regimes.
Moscow’s Maritime Strategy
From the Kremlin’s perspective, these interdictions are seen as a threat not only to Russia’s economy but to its sovereign right to conduct trade on the high seas. Patrushev accused NATO of exploring scenarios that include blockades of Russian ports and the seizure of merchant shipping, particularly around Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, and said Moscow would respond if peaceful solutions fail.
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“If this situation cannot be resolved peacefully, then the blockade will be broken and eliminated by the navy,” Patrushev said, framing the statement as a matter of national security. He added that Russia needs a more technologically capable and well‑balanced Navy to protect its commercial shipping across distant waters.
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Russian state media have touted recent naval exercises with allied countries as part of broader efforts to reinforce maritime cooperation and protect trade routes — although such drills also serve to project power amid heightened global scrutiny.
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Western Caution and Legal Complexity
Western policymakers have so far avoided lethal force in intercepting Russian vessels, relying instead on legal frameworks, financial penalties, and insurance restrictions to enforce sanctions. But the question of whether physical interdiction on the high seas is lawful remains contested. Some allied naval planners argue that vessels with questionable documentation could be treated as stateless and subject to interception — a stance that critics worry might broaden the scope for conflict at sea.
While EU authorities have listed hundreds of vessels suspected of aiding Russia’s shadow fleet and banned them from ports and services, actual seizures have been limited, and coordination among Western navies varies by region.
Geopolitical Implications
Experts say Patrushev’s comments reflect broader Russian concerns about containment and economic isolation. By publicly threatening naval measures, Moscow may be signaling that it views maritime access as a critical frontier in its standoff with Western powers — one that could have far‑reaching implications for global trade, energy markets, and security alliances.
Still, many analysts caution that significant naval escalation over merchant shipping remains unlikely in the short term, given the risks of inadvertent conflict with NATO forces and the legal complexities involved. As Russia and the West continue their standoff, the status of merchant shipping and maritime law is poised to remain a flashpoint in the widening geopolitical dispute.