Russian officials issue disturbing nuclear threat after US seizes Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela

Russian officials have issued a disturbing threat to both the US and the UK after the former captured a Russian-flagged oil tanker that's said to be linked to Venezuela yesterday (January 7).

On Wednesday, a ship known as The Marinera was seized by the US after it made contact with a US-sanctioned blockage near the South American country.

The US military campaign in Venezuela has only escalated following the capture of the president, Nicolàs Maduro, who has since been brought to New York to await criminal charges.

Meanwhile, reports of strikes hitting their capital of Caracas have also been circulating, with places said to have been struck, including a military airfield in the city centre and the main army base of Fuerte Tiuna.

The Marinera was seized as it travelled through the waters near Iceland, despite it being shadowed by a Russian submarine at the time of capture.

The US seized the vessel on Wednesday (Arjan Elmendorp/Getty Images)

Following this, Russia's Transport Ministry said in a statement: "In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states."

They also said that they had lost all contact upon the US's boarding of the vessel.

Now, Russian lawmaker Alexia Zhuravlev has reportedly told Vladimir Putin to 'attack with torpedoes' and to 'sink a couple of American Coast Guard boats'.

Stating Russia's response must be 'firm and swift', Zhuravlev added (via The Mirror): "In essence, it is the same as an encroachment on Russian territory, since the tanker was sailing under our national flag.

"There is no doubt that the response must be firm and swift – our military doctrine in such a case even provides for the use of nuclear weapons."

Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the Russian parliament’s defence committee added: "I think the United States, which is in a kind of euphoria of impunity after the special operation in Venezuela, can only be stopped now with such a slap on the nose."

Putin has reportedly been urged to 'attack with torpedoes' (Vyacheslav PROKOFYEV / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Lt-Gen Andrey Gurulev also said there was 'nothing stopping us from imposing sanctions against all ships heading to Black Sea ports', or 'even sinking them if we don't like something'.

The deputy head of the Kremlin's security council, Dmitry Medvedev, directed a pointed message to Donald Trump's administration: "Don't play games with Russia."

According to The Independent, the tanker is the third one to be seized by the US since its campaign against Venezuela began in early September, with two others, named the Centuries and The Skipper, having been stopped by American forces.

The Skipper's seizure, in particular, set off a major spark in efforts to pressure Maduro to cut off access to critical oil resources.

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