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Putin threatens to seize Western ships in response to interceptions

In response to the seizure of vessels, Vladimir Putin threatened to take Western boats linked to the Russian 'phantom fleet'.

12 August 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: Putin threatens to seize Western ships in response to interceptions — Archive photoPhoto: portdattache · Flickr · BY

Vladimir Putin has threatened to seize Western ships in reaction to the interception of vessels by European countries. Sweden and France have notably intercepted these boats, which are suspected to be part of what the Russian president refers to as his 'phantom fleet'.

In a statement, Putin described the actions taken against these ships as 'piracy and banditry,' thus escalating tensions between Russia and Western countries over maritime issues. According to both sources, the interceptions have served as the pretext for these threats from Moscow.

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