Putin Warns of Possible Strikes on Ukrainian Allies’ Ships

Vladimir Putin warned that Russia may consider striking the ships of countries supporting Ukraine if a surge in attacks on Moscow’s tanker fleet doesn’t halt.”What the Ukrainian armed forces are doing now is piracy,” Putin told reporters in Moscow, in comments broadcast by the state-run Rossiya 24 TV channel.

There’s been a surge in attacks on tankers tied to Russia over the past week — a practice that had previously been happening only sporadically. At least one ship manager said they’d cease sending vessels to Russia because of an attack on their freighter.

Read more: Black Sea War Risk Insurance Soars 250% After Ship Attacks

As the US makes a fresh push to end the conflict, Russia and Ukraine are fighting an increasingly intense energy war as they attempt to gain a meaningful advantage after months of stalemate on the frontline.

Ukraine has been launching record attacks at Russia’s oil refineries and caused serious damage to a key sea terminal that handles oil from Kazakhstan. Russia has been pounding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, aiming to bring down morale before winter sets in.

Retaliatory Measures

Putin said the first possible countermeasures would be to expand the range of Russian “strikes against port facilities and ships” calling at Ukrainian ports.

“Second, if this continues, we will consider the possibility — I’m not saying we will do this, but we will consider the possibility of retaliatory measures against the vessels of those countries that assist Ukraine in committing these piracy acts,” Putin said.

Brent futures erased an earlier decline of 1.6% to trade little changed in London. Traders have been awaiting indications of whether US efforts to end the war in Ukraine will be successful.

The attacks began ratcheting up late last week, with an attack on a fuel tanker off the coast of Senegal. The manager of that ship said it will cease to trade in Russia.

That was followed by two large oil tankers coming under attack in the Black Sea and then, on Tuesday, a tiny vessel transporting sunflower oil.

A person familiar with the matter said that Ukraine was behind the two Black Sea attacks last week. However, the perpetrators haven’t generally claimed responsibility for the incidents.

If other companies were to grow wary of going to Russia, it could boost the cost of transporting the nation’s commodities to global markets.

“The most radical option is to cut Ukraine off from the sea, then piracy will be impossible in principle,” Putin said.

Related:

• Yet Another Russia-Linked Tanker Gets Attacked in the Black Sea
• Black Sea Shipping Insurance Rates Rise After Ukraine Attacks on Tankers, Sources Say
• Third Russia-Linked Oil Tanker Suffers Explosions at Sea