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Posted on 08/12/2026 4:51:20 AM PDT by marshmallow
The Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman stressed that Russian armed forces were capable of significantly extending their operations beyond the borders of the Black Sea basin
MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. Russia has the right to attack any merchant ship in neutral waters if it is transporting cargo in the interests of the enemy, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev stated.
"The vast majority of Western European ships also sail under flags of convenience. So what does that mean? It means that, guided by a fair, symmetrical approach, Russia has the right to attack any merchant vessel of an enemy country in our waters or neutral waters if there are sufficient grounds to suspect that it is carrying cargo for the enemy. That is, any cargo! There are many such vessels," the politician wrote on his Telegram channel, commenting on Western statements about the so-called Russian shadow fleet.
"Our armed forces are capable of significantly extending their operations beyond the borders of the Black Sea basin," Medvedev pointed out, adding that this was precisely what Pacific Fleet Commander Viktor Liina had reported today to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking about the context of the issue, the security official recalled that "Western European lapdogs are frantically barking about the so-called Russian shadow fleet" and suggested figuring out exactly what that is. "This refers to ordinary merchant ships that sail under a non-Russian flag but conduct transport operations in our interests. Such a flag is usually called a ‘flag of convenience’ or a ‘friendly flag.’ It’s a system where a vessel is registered in a country other than the owner’s country in order to reduce taxes and regulatory costs," the politician explained. Medvedev specified that such "flags of convenience" countries include Panama, Liberia, the Marshall Islands, the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, Malta, and the Seychelles. "Of course, European officials have no right to detain such vessels, neither under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea nor under national legislation. This is blatant arbitrariness," he emphasized.
Earlier, while in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk aboard the Pacific Fleet’s flagship, the Varyag Guards missile cruiser, Putin addressed the same issue. The president pointed out that, in violation of international maritime law, the authorities of some Western countries have long attempted to restrict the movement of civilian vessels belonging to Russian economic operators and have recently considered seizing Russian ships and selling the seized property. Putin called this "piracy and robbery" and promised that Moscow would retaliate wherever it deems appropriate, not necessarily in the waters where such raids are planned. Putin added that he has given the relevant instructions to the Russian Defense Ministry and passed them on to the command, including that of the Pacific Fleet.
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Wait, I’ve seen this movie…..except it was in German.
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” - Mark Twain...............
Mm-hm. Yeah. Sure, Ivan.
Regarding the legality of this act......
The USA is engaged in an undeclared war with Iran, and is blockading their ports. In the past few days we used a missle to disable a Panamanian flagged ship that was approaching an Iranian Port in defiance of our blockade. We then seized the wessel and its crew.
This seems similar to what the Russians are doing. Its legal for us, so its legal for them. Does anyone disagree?
Considering that Putin and Kim Jong Un are invading a peaceful European nation and not being invaded themselves, it makes it especially hard for the bad guys to sell this to the world.
Not sure about what all this means, but if it means what I think it does, Russia may have bitten off more than it can chew.
Wars should be fought to win. So far both sides have been pretty lame.
Lusitania
Mother Russia’s problem is that while she may have self declared rights, she no longer possess a navy in the Black Sea capable of assuring those rights.
Mini-me Medvedev!
Putin's Dmitry "Mini-me" Medvedev showing
map of Russia's goals in Ukraine as of 2024:
Russians have always seized western countries' citizens to hold for ransom.
If they begin seizing western ships, it could end all Russian seaborne commerce.
"Shadow fleet" anyone?
Why not? Countries that are not at war with Russia have given themselves the right to seize Russian shipping anywhere in the world.
If a Panama flagged container ship with 6000 containers sailing from Baltimore to Hamburg has one container of munitions bound for Ukraine, can the Russians seize the ship and divert it to a Russian port?
Under international law, the answer appears to be yes.
Considering that Putin and Kim Jong Un are invading a peaceful European nation and not being invaded themselves, it makes it especially hard for the bad guys to sell this to the world.
**********
It’s not all one-sided against Russia.
The EU and the Muslims are the bad guys, not Russia. The Democrats, assisted by McCain and other Republicans thinking they were still in a cold war with the old USSR, instigated an anti-Russian coup in a nation bordering Russia. To this day, they continue to spread lies about Russia to justify sanctions and property seizures.
It’s unfortunate that Russia responded by making survival alliances with scoundrel nations like Iran, but our American leftists and globalists pushed them into this. We should be trying to bring Russia into a patriot alliance against Marxists and Muslims.
Was it a nuclear wessel?
Regards,
No, the Russians, North Korean Army forces, and Chechen Islamic forces attacking in Europe are the bad guys.
Rethink your loyalty to XI, Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Mojtaba Khamenei against America and President Trump.
While Red China is training the Russian army forces to fight in Europe, President Trump has American troops in Ukraine being trained by Ukraine forces as the American military just received its first shipment of Ukraine drones.
President Trump is bringing their know how and factories to the United States, while Ukraine also helps us and other countries in the Middle East against Russian ally Iran.
And the sequel in ‘39.
Under international law, the answer appears to be yes.
It's what made the sinking of Lusitania a clean shot; that ship had munitions on board, despite being a passenger ship.
Allied propaganda went into overdrive to push the event as evidence of German barbarity, but it was the Germans in then-neutral America who were on the pier warning passengers that the ship was a legitimate target for German submarines.
We should have made the same statement during the Vietnam war about ships entering Haiphong harbor.
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