A high-profile member of the Russian Duma issued a chilling threat to the States following the seizure of two oil tankers believed to be part of the so-called “ghost fleet”. Aleksey Zhuravlyov, the first deputy head of the defence committee went so far as to suggest nuclear weapons could be deployed in response, as per the “military doctrine” of the country. 

He likened to seizure of the Marinera, previously called Bella 1, to “an attack on Russian territory” as it was flying under the Russian flag. He said: “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.

“It is essentially the same as an attack on Russian territory, since the tanker was flying our national flag.

“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.”

The Marinera has been under scrutiny since last month, when the US Coast Guard attempted to board it in the Caribbean after obtaining a warrant over alleged violations of US sanctions and claims that the ship had transported Iranian oil.

The operation failed when the vessel suddenly changed course, changed its name, and reflagged itself from Guyana to Russia.

Its move toward Europe has been was by the deployment of roughly 10 US transport aircraft and helicopters before it was boarded.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that British troops supported the seizure of the Marinera today. It said: “The UK has provided enabling support to the United States at their request to interdict the vessel Bella 1 today.

“UK Armed Forces provided pre-planned operational support, including basing, to U.S. military assets interdicting the Bella 1 in the UK-Iceland-Greenland gap following a U.S. request for assistance.

“RFA Tideforce provided support for U.S. forces pursuing and interdicting the Bella 1, while the RAF provided surveillance support from the air.

“The UK and U.S. defence and security relationship is the deepest in the world and the UK provided enabling support in full compliance with international law.”