Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow may consider striking vessels belonging to countries supporting Ukraine if the recent attacks on Russia’s tanker fleet continues.

The warning comes as Ukrainian maritime drone operations and rising tensions in the Black Sea place commercial shipping at heightened risk.

Putin said in Moscow that the attacks on Russian-linked tankers amounted to piracy, according to reports carried by state media. He indicated that Russia’s initial response would be to widen strikes on port facilities and ships calling at Ukrainian ports.

He also noted that a second option under consideration was retaliatory action against vessels belonging to nations assisting Ukraine in carrying out what he described as piracy.

The warning follows a series of maritime incidents over the past week. Two Russian tankers in the Black Sea were struck in coordinated attacks on Friday and Saturday.

A Ukrainian security source confirmed that Sea Baby underwater drones were deployed in a joint operation involving the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the navy.

The source said both tankers sustained critical damage and were effectively taken out of service, which could impact Russian oil transportation.

One of the targeted vessels, the Gambian-flagged Virat, was hit twice within 24 hours. Turkey’s Transport Ministry stated that a firefighting tug had been dispatched to the site and that the crew had not requested to abandon the ship.

Shipping data indicated that the tanker had been waiting for further instructions in the Black Sea. The vessel had previously been sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union under different names.

The second vessel, the Gambian-flagged Kairos, which transports Russian crude, suffered severe damage in a separate explosion. All 25 crew members were safely evacuated. Neither attack occurred within Turkish territorial waters.

The Black Sea incidents came shortly after an attack on a fuel tanker off the coast of Senegal. The ship manager later confirmed that the vessel would no longer sail to Russia.

Another small vessel carrying sunflower oil was also struck earlier this week. A person familiar with the situation said Ukraine was responsible for the two Black Sea attacks, though no official claim has been made.

The escalation has raised concerns among maritime operators. If more shipowners withdraw from Russian routes, costs associated with transporting Russia’s commodities could rise.

Putin said Ukrainian forces had targeted ships not only outside neutral waters but within another state’s special economic zone, which he described as a clear act of piracy, according to comments circulated by Russian outlets.

He added that the “most radical option” would be to cut Ukraine off from the sea entirely, arguing that such a move would eliminate the possibility of similar attacks.

The maritime confrontation is unfolding alongside an intensifying energy war. Ukraine has stepped up strikes on Russian oil refineries and caused damage to a key sea terminal handling Kazakh crude. Russia, in turn, has increased attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure as winter approaches.

Putin’s remarks were issued shortly before his meeting at the Kremlin with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner for discussions on efforts to end the war. The meeting followed negotiations in Florida between US and Ukrainian officials on a draft proposal.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Dublin that he was awaiting the outcome of the Moscow talks and was prepared to meet former US President Donald Trump depending on the results.

Market reaction remained cautious. Brent futures recovered earlier losses of around 1.6% as traders assessed the potential impact of diplomatic developments.

The attacks on the Virat and Kairos are among the most disruptive strikes on Russia’s maritime oil shipments in recent months. Russia relies heavily on a fleet of tankers, many operating under flags of convenience, to move oil to global buyers despite Western sanctions.

With both nations now expanding their use of long-range drones at sea, the Black Sea has become an increasingly volatile zone for commercial shipping. Naval analysts warn that further escalation could place more vessels at risk as the maritime dimension of the conflict continues to widen.

References: Bloomberg, Zeenews