• Aleksey Zhuravlyov suggested nuclear weapons deployment under Russia’s “military doctrine” following tanker seizures
• US Coast Guard seized Marinera and Sophia tankers in coordinated North Atlantic and Caribbean operations
• White House declared vessels “stateless” despite Russian flag painted on Marinera hull

MOSCOW, RUSSIA (TDR) — A high-profile Russian Duma member issued chilling threats Tuesday following the United States seizure of two oil tankers believed part of a so-called “ghost fleet” used to evade sanctions, with Aleksey Zhuravlyov going as far as suggesting nuclear weapons deployment in response.

Zhuravlyov, first deputy head of the State Duma’s defense committee, likened the seizure of the Marinera — previously called Bella 1 — to “an attack on Russian territory” as it was flying under the Russian flag when US Coast Guard forces boarded the vessel Wednesday in the North Atlantic.

“We need to provide a military response: attack with torpedoes or sink a couple of American boats. This is nothing more than piracy: the seizure of a civilian vessel by the armed US Navy,” Zhuravlyov stated in remarks carried by Russian state media.

Nuclear Doctrine Invoked in Response

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

The Russian official escalated his rhetoric by invoking Moscow’s military doctrine regarding nuclear weapons use, claiming the seizure warranted the most severe response available to the Kremlin.

“There is no doubt that we must respond firmly and swiftly—our military doctrine even envisages the use of nuclear weapons in response to such an attack. Especially since, according to available information, a Russian submarine and some other Russian military ships were located somewhere near the vessel,” Zhuravlyov said.

Two US officials confirmed to Reuters that a Russian submarine and warship had been positioned near the Marinera when American forces executed the boarding operation early Wednesday morning.

The nuclear threat marks a significant escalation in rhetoric between Washington and Moscow as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign against Venezuela’s sanctioned oil trade following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro last week.

Coordinated Seizures in Two Oceans

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the United States conducted back-to-back predawn operations Wednesday to seize both the Motor Tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic and the Motor Tanker Sophia in international waters near the Caribbean.

“In two predawn operations today, the Coast Guard conducted back-to-back meticulously coordinated boarding of two ‘ghost fleet’ tanker ships— one in the North Atlantic Sea and one in international waters near the Caribbean,” Noem stated on social media.

The Marinera had been pursued for more than two weeks after slipping through President Trump’s December 16 blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan tankers. The ship’s crew hastily painted a Russian flag on the hull and changed its name from Bella 1 to Marinera in late December in an apparent attempt to claim Moscow’s protection.

The vessel received temporary permission to sail under the Russian state flag on December 24, according to Russia’s Transport Ministry. Maritime tracking data shows the Marinera transported more than 20 million barrels of Iranian and Venezuelan crude between 2021 and 2025, largely via ship-to-ship transfers bound for China, though it was currently empty of oil.

Russia Claims International Law Violation

The Russian Ministry of Transport condemned the seizure as a violation of international maritime law, though the United States is not a signatory to the treaty Moscow cited.

“In accordance with the norms of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a regime of freedom of navigation operates in the waters of the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against ships properly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the ministry stated.

Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, told TASS the seizure was “unquestionably a violation of maritime law and UN conventions,” while Senator Andrei Klishas of Putin’s United Russia party declared the United States had “turned to outright piracy on the high seas.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring reports that Russian nationals were among the crew and demanded Washington guarantee their humane treatment and prompt return home.

White House: Vessels Were “Stateless”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the seizures, declaring the Marinera was “deemed stateless” despite the Russian flag painted on its hull.

“This was a Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel that has transported sanctioned oil. The vessel was under a judicial seizure order,” Leavitt said during a press briefing, adding the crew “is now subject to prosecution for any applicable violation of federal law.”

The Bella 1 was formally blacklisted by the US Treasury in June 2024 for allegedly smuggling cargo for a company linked to Hezbollah and Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force. The Sophia was sanctioned in January 2025 as part of a crackdown on Russia’s “shadow fleet” vessels used to circumvent Western restrictions.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on social media that the blockade remains “in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world.”

“The United States continues to enforce the blockade against all dark fleet vessels illegally transporting Venezuelan oil to finance illicit activity, stealing from the Venezuelan people. Only legitimate and lawful energy commerce—as determined by the U.S.—will be permitted,” Hegseth stated.

UK Provided Operational Support

The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed British forces provided crucial support for the Marinera interdiction, including use of bases and surveillance assets.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary Tideforce aided the US pursuit, while RAF aircraft provided aerial surveillance. UK Defence Secretary John Healey praised the operation as part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions-busting vessels.

“This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fueling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine,” Healey said.

Britain has sanctioned more than 500 Russian vessels, contributing to a reported 27 percent drop in Moscow’s oil revenues since late 2024.

Will Russia follow through on Zhuravlyov’s threats, or does his rhetoric represent internal political posturing amid Moscow’s weakening position in Venezuela?

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10