Russia has repeatedly accused European states of ‘piracy’ for detaining vessels from its ‘shadow fleet’ suspected of grey zone activities in the Baltic Sea. These accusations are legally unfounded. However, the persistence of this narrative in both official statements and public discussion in Russia warrants closer scrutiny. This article argues against dismissing Moscow’s invocation of piracy as mere propaganda. These claims should be understood as lawfare – the strategic misuse of legal concepts to advance political objectives. This article examines how such lawfare complements Russia’s coercive signalling strategy and explores its broader strategic implications. Moscow’s piracy narrative reveals how hijacking the authority of international law has become integral to the Russian practice of deterrence.
Mariia Vladymyrova (2026) studied this question.