Russia said Wednesday that the United States’ seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic was a violation of maritime law, and a top lawmaker described the action as “outright piracy.”
Russia’s Transport Ministry said contact with the ship, , was lost after US naval forces boarded it near Iceland as part of efforts to block oil exports from Venezuela.
“According to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies on the high seas and no State has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other States,” the ministry said in a statement.
Andrei Klishas, a lawmaker from the United Russia party, said on Telegram: “After a ‘law enforcement operation’ that killed dozens of people in Venezuela, the US engaged in outright piracy on the high seas.”
Furthermore, the state news agency TASS stated, citing the country’s Foreign Ministry, that Russia demands that the United States guarantee humane and decent treatment to the Russian crew members as well as their return home.
US seizure of oil tanker
Two American officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that Wednesday’s operation (7) was carried out by the Coast Guard and the US military.
They said Russian military ships, including a submarine, were nearby. There were no indications of any confrontation between US and Russian military forces.
The Marinera, , had previously escaped a US sea blockade of sanctioned oil tankers in the Caribbean.
The blockade was part of US pressure against Venezuela.
Relationship between USA and Russia
Relations between Moscow and Washington plunged into their worst state since the Cold War, after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
But the relationship between the nations has become more cordial since Trump began his second term in early 2025 and began talking to President Vladimir Putin to look for a way to end the conflict.
Military incidents between nuclear-armed powers are rare. In March 2023, a US military surveillance drone crashed in the Black Sea after being intercepted by Russian fighter jets, prompting Washington to protest and warn of the risk of escalation.
Russia’s allies are deposed
Maduro was the second close ally of Russia to be deposed in just over a year, following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Russia said it supports Delcy Rodriguez, sworn in on Monday as interim president, and will continue to support Venezuela in the face of what the country called “blatant neocolonial threats and foreign armed aggression.”
With the Russians still in the midst of an extended New Year’s holiday period, Putin has yet to publicly comment on the US move to remove Maduro from power in Venezuela.
