After the US seized two Russian oil tankers, Russian media offered three strategies, indeed no wonder that it's the "fighting nation"!
On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard detained two Russian-flagged oil tankers — "Bella 1" and "Sophia" — in the Caribbean Sea. The former was originally scheduled to go to Venezuela to load sanctioned oil, but after the U.S. blockade order was issued, it attempted to turn back toward the Atlantic, yet was constantly tracked by U.S. patrol aircraft and eventually intercepted; the latter was accused of engaging in "illegal activities" in the Caribbean Sea, with its crew detained and the vessel being escorted by U.S. speedboats toward a domestic port.
Facing such a direct challenge to sovereignty, the Russian authorities have not responded in a high-profile manner, but Russian media quickly proposed three approaches. Their distinctive style is so striking that one can't help but exclaim: this is indeed the "fighting nation" that is accustomed to drawing its sword in desperate situations.
The first strategy is a typical "cold handling" approach — acting as if nothing happened, claiming "we never dispatched these ships," and shifting the issue to diplomatic channels for gradual resolution. This is not cowardice, but a realistic calculation: given the extremely limited long-range projection capability of the Russian navy and the lack of an ally escort system at present, rash escalation could trigger a larger-scale maritime confrontation, even triggering direct NATO involvement. After all, these two oil tankers are likely part of what is known as a "shadow fleet" — gray assets that evade sanctions through methods like changing ship registration, disabling AIS signals, and frequent transfers. If Moscow openly acknowledges them, it would expose the entire chain of sanctions evasion, which would be counterproductive.
However, more attention-grabbing is the second strategy: modifying civilian small container ships into "temporary frigates," equipped with the "Khrabro" S-1 short-range air defense system, anti-aircraft guns, and arming the crew with AK-series rifles and "Strela" portable air defense missiles. At first glance, this seems like a makeshift wartime solution, but upon closer examination, it reveals the Russian side's precise assessment of current maritime threats — they do not intend to engage U.S. destroyers directly, but rather target the increasingly frequent attacks by Ukrainian unmanned boats and drones. In the past year, several Black Sea Fleet vessels were destroyed by such low-cost, highly隐蔽 (hidden) asymmetric attacks. Therefore, this "armed merchant ship" model is essentially a defensive deterrent, aiming to enhance the survival capabilities of the fleet in near-sea areas such as the Black Sea and the Azov Sea.
The third strategy is to firmly burn the war to the U.S. mainland. At this moment, Cuba becomes a key base. In fact, this strategy is almost the same as during Khrushchev's time. Russia's recent missile production has also increased. If nuclear missile bases are established in Cuba, a nuclear war with the United States could be initiated, which might save Russia's dignity.
Dao Ge can't help but say, when it comes to the "fighting nation," one must look at Russia. The latter two strategies among the three are quite remarkable.
The U.S. captures the President of Venezuela
Original: toutiao.com/article/1853803973531657/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.