United States Seizes Russian Oil Tanker

Even the Russian Navy Could Not Prevent the Action

Washington (USA) — A direct confrontation has now emerged between the United States and Russia over Venezuela. The US has seized two oil tankers that were allegedly transporting crude oil purchased from Venezuela. One of the vessels is Russian-owned, while the identity of the second tanker has not yet been disclosed.

🇺🇸 The US has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera (ex-Bella-1) in the North Atlantic after a 2-week hunt for vessels violating sanctions tied to Venezuelan oil.

A second Venezuela-linked tanker was also intercepted.

Moscow condemns the action as piracy and illegal,… pic.twitter.com/MNmblfwEKu

— Sanatan Prabhat (@SanatanPrabhat) January 8, 2026

The Russian vessel was flying the Russian national flag and was intercepted in the North Atlantic Ocean. The tanker has been identified as Marinera. The second tanker was seized in the Caribbean Sea. According to reports, the US had been tracking both vessels for the past two weeks. The tankers were allegedly carrying Venezuelan oil to China or other countries.

Notably, Russia had deployed submarines and warships to protect its tanker; however, these naval assets failed to prevent the US action.

The tanker Marinera was previously known as Bella-1 and had been placed on the US sanctions list. In an attempt to evade detection, its name was changed last month. In December 2025, the vessel was reportedly heading towards Venezuela when the US Coast Guard attempted to intercept it. At that time, the tanker managed to escape due to what was described as the crew’s tactical manoeuvring.

“Drop a Nuclear Bomb on the US” — Reaction from Russian Officials

Following the US seizure of the Russian oil tanker, strong anger has been expressed in Moscow. Senior Russian officials have issued sharp reactions to the incident.

Aleksey Zhuravlyov, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, stated that the United States has become increasingly aggressive following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and that Russia must respond decisively. He suggested options such as launching missile strikes or sinking American vessels.

Zhuravlyov further pointed out that Russia’s military doctrine allows for the use of nuclear weapons in response to such attacks, underscoring the seriousness of the situation and raising concerns over further escalation.