Lavrov Calls Tanker Seizures “Piracy”—And Threatens Retaliation

Russia will take “mirror” and potentially asymmetric measures in response to Western countries detaining vessels linked to its oil trade, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned, The Moscow Times reported on November 10.

Lavrov accused European countries of “piracy” over seizures of vessels associated with Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, according to an article he wrote for the Russian state media.

Western countries have stepped up enforcement against vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet of sanctioned oil tankers throughout 2026. UNITED24 Media has reported on interceptions and detentions involving Russia-linked tankers in the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Baltic and North Sea regions, as European governments moved to tighten sanctions enforcement and maritime controls.

“The European Union, turning into a military bloc and clearly suffering from delusions of grandeur, has remembered the times of slavery and piracy and has begun openly seizing foreign vessels and stealing their cargo,” Lavrov wrote.

He claimed that European countries had created the term “shadow fleet,” which he described as having no basis in international law, while also criticizing the price cap restricting European companies’ dealings with Russian oil shipments, according to The Moscow Times.

“The markets are being shaken by this geopolitical lawlessness,” Lavrov wrote.

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He added that Moscow would respond to Western actions with what he described as reciprocal or asymmetric measures.

“It is necessary to understand that actions from a position of strength—especially weakening strength—and policies of pressure, blackmail, and diktat are doomed and will be met with mirror and asymmetric responses,” Lavrov stated.

In October, the French Navy intercepted the sanctioned tanker DF Peak more than 450 nautical miles south of Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean. French authorities stated that the vessel was suspected of operating under a false flag and facilitating illicit fuel transport.

UNITED24 Media later reported that French prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into the tanker’s captain after inspections found irregularities with its claimed Beninese registration. The vessel had previously been linked to Russia’s sanctioned Sovcomflot shipping network.

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