Putin suggests Russia could cut off Ukraine from the sea in response to tanker attacks

Russian President Vladimir Putin, when discussing possible retaliatory measures to attacks on tankers in the Black Sea, stated that there is a radical way to completely cut off Ukraine from the sea. Commenting on the attacks on tankers in the Black Sea, Putin noted that Russia may consider retaliatory measures against these attacks. ‘The most radical way is to cut off Ukraine from the sea, then it will be impossible to engage in piracy at all in principle,’ Putin said. He also observed that these are measures ‘in escalation.’ ‘I hope that the Ukrainian military leadership, political leadership, and those who stand behind them will think about whether it is worth continuing such a practice,’ the Russian president said.