Russia threatens to deploy navy to protect vessels from ‘western piracy’
The Guardian World
by Pjotr SauerFebruary 17, 2026
Official says blockade on ‘shadow fleet’ would be illegal, and raises prospect of retaliation against European vessels
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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.
Nikolai Patrushev, a former FSB director who heads Russia’s maritime board, said on Tuesday that the country’s navy should be ready to counter what he described as “western piracy”.
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Originally published on The Guardian World on 2/17/2026