Russian embassy warns Netherlands of response to ship detentions

Russia's embassy in the Netherlands has warned of possible retaliation after the Dutch government submitted a bill targeting vessels it associates with Russia's shadow fleet. The proposed powers still require parliamentary approval.

RBC reported on October 9 that the amendments had been sent to the lower house of parliament. They would allow authorities to direct relevant vessels in the country's exclusive economic zone to an anchorage or port for inspection, where a ship could be detained and its captain arrested.

The maximum sentence for using a false flag of the Kingdom of the Netherlands would rise to four years in prison. The government linked its proposal to sanctions evasion and to maritime safety and environmental risks that it says ageing, uninsured tankers pose.

In a statement on X, the Russian embassy invoked the possibility of reciprocal measures against other countries' ships and warned against interpreting Moscow's patience as weakness. Its warning does not establish that retaliatory ship detentions have already begun.