Russia has issued a menacing threat of World War Three following the US seizure of the Marinera oil tanker. The operation to capture the Venezuelan-linked vessel, formerly known as the Bella 1, was conducted in the Atlantic with the assistance of RAF surveillance aircraft and the naval supply ship RFA Tideforce. The vessel was intercepted in the waters between Iceland and Scotland, despite being tracked by Russian forces.

In response to the US-British operation, Russian lawmaker Alexei Zhuravlev urged Vladimir Putin to take aggressive action, suggesting attacking with torpedoes and sinking American Coast Guard boats. He condemned the seizure as piracy and viewed it as an infringement on Russian territory since the tanker was sailing under the Russian flag. Zhuravlev emphasized the need for a swift and resolute response, even hinting at the potential use of nuclear weapons as per 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 criticized the lack of response from Putin and called for cutting off all channels to prevent such incidents.

Former Kremlin president Dmitry Medvedev cautioned Donald Trump’s administration against playing games with Russia. Defense Secretary John Healey justified the tanker’s seizure, citing its stateless status and involvement in breaching sanctions on Iran by transporting millions of barrels of Iranian crude oil. He highlighted the vessel’s attempt to evade capture by changing its name and adopting the Russian flag.

While the Russian foreign ministry claimed the seizure violated the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, stating the vessel had a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag, Kremlin adviser Andrei Fedorov warned that any attack on Russia, such as the seizure of the Marinera, could escalate to a critical or crisis situation in US-Russia relations.