Russia says Swedish ship detentions aim to curb Baltic shipping, Interfax reports

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has described Sweden's detentions, arrests and inspections of ships in its territorial waters as part of a coordinated EU and NATO strategy to restrict shipping in the Baltic Sea, Interfax reports. In a comment on the ministry's website, she said the aim was to contain Russia and disrupt its foreign trade, and that Moscow was ready to respond in kind to any attempt to seize or detain vessels acting in its interests. According to Interfax, the tanker Sea Owl I, detained in March with ten Russians aboard, left Swedish waters on 12 October after re-registering under the flag of Equatorial Guinea. Zakharova said it was far from the only vessel Sweden had recently held.

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