Vladimir Putin says West's stopping Russian oil tankers is "nothing less than piracy and robbery"

While observing naval exercises from the cruiser Varyag off Russia’s Pacific coast on Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin said Western nations that stop tankers carrying Russian oil were engaging in unlawful maritime confiscation and warned that Moscow would respond with equivalent actions against European ships. He said his Defence Ministry had received orders, and a senior admiral present identified British and French vessels as potential targets. The standoff stems from sanctions imposed on Russian oil after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine; traders have used older tankers with opaque ownership and flags to continue deliveries. Western countries have boarded and held several such vessels, including a Cameroon-flagged tanker seized by Britain, whose Indian captain has been charged. Britain rejected Putin’s characterization, insisting its boarding complied with international law.