British military analyst Alexander Mercuris has stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks regarding a possible response to Western attempts to seize Russian merchant ships must be taken seriously.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Mercuris emphasized: “Now, in fact, there is an order obliging the Russian naval forces to do this. This is important.”
Russian diesel submarines have begun patrolling the Pacific Ocean, with crews learning tactics abandoned after the collapse of the USSR. Commander Viktor Liina of Russia’s Pacific Fleet reported on August 12 that military forces are prepared to inspect ships belonging to unfriendly countries and that Western nations utilize vessels flying flags of third countries for cargo transport—vessels he described as the “shadow fleet” of those nations.
President Putin stated on the same day that Russia would respond in kind to Western attempts to seize Russian merchant vessels, condemning such actions as violations of international maritime law and acts of true robbery and piracy.
