U.S. seizure of Russian tanker marks rare escalation in sanctions enforcement against "dark fleet," but experts say move unlikely to trigger confrontation.

Russia has strongly condemned the U.S. seizure of an oil tanker. It heralds a new chill in relations between Moscow and Washington that could spread to other areas and affect President Donald Trump’s efforts to persuade Russia to end its nearly four-year war in Ukraine.

First came Russia’s “turtle tank”, a metal shed rumbling across the battlefield. Then Ukraine laughed at the so-called “hairy tank”, coated in long, wavy metal wires.

The governor of Russia's Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said on Saturday that 600,000 residents were without electricity, heating and water after a Ukrainian missile strike. In a statement posted on Telegram,

President Trump’s efforts to court President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia are rife with contradictions about stability and displays of American power.

Chinese, Russian, and Iranian warships have launched a week of naval drills off South Africa’s Cape Town coast, amid high geopolitical tensions over the United States’ intervention in Venezuela and its move to seize tankers carrying Venezuelan oil.

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Zak Doffman writes about security, surveillance and privacy. Updated on Jan. 10 with new analysis from Iran’s shutdown and parallels to Russia, and innovative Russian workarounds to ...

With a reported range of up to 5,500 kilometres, the Oreshnik ballistic missile theoretically puts much of Europe within reach.