Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to sever Ukraine’s access to the sea and launch retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian ports and vessels, following recent attacks on Russian-flagged oil tankers.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday (2 December), Putin described the Ukrainian military’s actions as “piracy,” accusing Kyiv of escalating tensions by targeting Russian commercial vessels. “What the Ukrainian armed forces are doing now is piracy,” he said. “Russia will first strike Ukraine’s ports and the ships that arrive there.”
Putin further warned that if such “piracy” continues, Moscow might also consider actions against ships belonging to countries assisting Ukraine. “I am not saying we will do it, but we will examine the possibility,” he added.
The Russian president, 73, issued a stark threat that unless Ukraine halts such operations, Russia could “cut Ukraine off from the sea entirely.” He added, “That would end their ability to carry out such piracy.”
According to Ukrainian intelligence officials, at least three Russian tankers have been damaged in the past two days, reportedly by maritime drones.
Meanwhile, the United States’ special envoys — Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — visited Moscow to pursue a potential peace agreement aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The two held a five-hour meeting with Russian officials until midnight, though Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov later said that the talks were “not productive.”
