A senior Kremlin official, Nikolai Patrushev, has warned that Russia’s navy may step in to stop Western nations from seizing Russian merchant ships under sanctions. Patrushev, a close aide of President Vladimir Putin responsible for shipping, called Western seizures “piracy-like attacks.” He mentioned that Britain, France, and Baltic states were the main culprits and warned that if Russia did not resist, these powers might block access to Russian seas, especially in the Atlantic. Patrushev stressed that Russia must continue shipping oil, grain, and fertiliser to keep its economy running. He accused Western countries of targeting the shipping sector to harm Russia. “Substantial forces must be permanently deployed – forces capable of cooling the ardour of Western pirates,” he said. He also claimed that NATO plans a blockade of Kaliningrad and said Europeans were pushing a military escalation. “If a peaceful resolution fails, the blockade will be broken and eliminated by the navy,” he added. The tensions come after the US seized the Russian oil tanker Marinera in January for breaching sanctions on Venezuela. France also seized and later released the Russian-linked tanker Grinch after its owner paid a multimillion-euro fine. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said: “Bypassing European sanctions comes at a price. Russia will no longer be able to fund its war with impunity through a ghost fleet off our coasts.” In 2025, France detained another Russian-related ship, Boracay, sparking Putin to condemn the move as “piracy.” Its Chinese captain is set for trial in France. The EU has identified 598 vessels believed to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” banned from European ports and services.