Russia has issued a grave threat of World War Three following the seizure of the Marinera oil tanker by US forces. The operation to capture the Venezuelan-linked vessel, previously known as the Bella 1, in the Atlantic was supported by RAF surveillance aircraft and RFA Tideforce, responding to a request from the US. The seizure took place as the tanker was sailing north and eastwards through the waters between Iceland and Scotland, despite being under Russian surveillance.
Russian lawmaker Alexei Zhuravlev urged Vladimir Putin to take aggressive action after the US-British operation, suggesting the use of torpedoes and targeting American Coast Guard boats. He condemned the seizure as piracy, emphasizing that the tanker was sailing under the Russian national flag, equating the incident to an encroachment on Russian territory. Zhuravlev emphasized the need for a swift and firm response, hinting at the potential use of nuclear weapons as per Russian military doctrine.
Additionally, another Russian parliament member, Lt-Gen Andrey Gurulev, proposed imposing sanctions on ships heading to Black Sea ports and using nuclear-capable missile systems to target Western missile production facilities. He pointed out the possibility of striking companies like Rheinmetall, which supplies ammunition to Ukraine, to disrupt their operations.
Dmitry Medvedev, former Kremlin president, cautioned the US administration against playing games with Russia. Defence Secretary John Healey defended the seizure of the Marinera, stating that the vessel was stateless and had been falsely flying the flag of Guyana when intercepted. He highlighted the vessel’s involvement in breaching sanctions on Iran, alleging that it had facilitated the movement of Iranian crude oil to finance terrorism.
While Healey justified the seizure, the Russian foreign ministry argued that it violated the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, claiming they had granted the ship permission to sail under the Russian Federation flag on Christmas Eve. Prior to the seizure, Kremlin adviser Andrei Fedorov warned that such an act would be viewed as an attack on Russia, potentially leading to a critical or crisis situation in US-Russia relations.
