Russian MP Threatens Nuclear Response After US Seizes Oil Tanker

Alexei Zhuravlev, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defence in Russia and a senior member of Russia's parliament, called the January 7 interdiction of the tanker Marinera--formerly the Bella 1--by US forces "outright piracy" and equated it to an attack on Russian territory since the vessel was flying the Russian flag.

In a forceful statement on Telegram, Zhuravlev said Moscow should "respond militarily", advocating that Russia "attack with torpedoes [and] sink a couple of American Coast Guard boats" involved in the operation, arguing such action was the only way to "stop the US", which he accused of acting with impunity following recent operations in Venezuela.

He also referenced Russia's military doctrine, asserting it "envisages the use of nuclear weapons" in response to attacks on national interests.

"This is the most common form of piracy--the seizure of a civilian vessel by an armed American fleet. It's essentially the same as an attack on Russian territory, since the tanker was sailing under our national flag. This must undoubtedly be responded to harshly and swiftly--our military doctrine even allows for the use of nuclear weapons in response to such a situation," the Russian MP said.

"Moreover, according to available information, a Russian submarine and some other Russian warships were also somewhere near the vessel. Attacking with torpedoes, sinking a couple of American Coast Guard cutters--they're perfectly capable of guarding their shores several thousand kilometers away--I think the only way to stop the US, which is enjoying a kind of euphoria of impunity after the special operation in Venezuela, is with a slap on the nose like this," he added.

The statement by the Russian MP can be considered a sharp escalation, given both countries' nuclear arsenals.

On Wednesday, US military forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic Ocean after weeks of pursuit by the US Coast Guard warship, after it evaded a US blockade of sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela for over a fortnight.

Following the seizure, Moscow issued a strong condemnation asserting that no country has the right to use force against vessels lawfully registered under another state's jurisdiction, particularly on the high seas.

In a Telegram statement, Russia's Ministry of Transport said the tanker Marinera, originally named Bella 1, received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian Federation flag on December 24, 2025, in accordance with Russian and international law.

The statement noted that the vessel was boarded by US Naval forces outside their territorial waters, following which contact with the vessel was lost.

"On December 24, 2025, the Marinera received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian Federation flag, issued in accordance with Russian law and international law. Today, at approximately 3:00 PM Moscow time, the vessel was boarded by US Navy forces in the high seas outside the territorial waters of any state, and contact with the vessel was lost," the statement read.

"In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in high seas waters, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states," the Ministry of Transport added.

According to a post on X by the US European Command, the tanker violated US sanctions and was tracked by the US Coast Guard cutter Munro before the operation.

The command noted that the vessel was seized under a warrant issued by a US federal court.

Originally named Bella 1, the tanker was sanctioned in 2024 and renamed Marinera.

The oil tanker recently became the focus of a face-off between the US and Russia, with Russia also sending naval assets, including a submarine, to bring it back, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

- ANI