Explosive maritime and military tensions escalate as Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev demands forceful retaliation against the United States over tanker seizures, dismissing UNCLOS constraints and accusing Washington of selective international law enforcement. The crisis deepens as Russia links U.S. maritime actions to its hypersonic Oreshnik missile strike near NATO borders, sending shockwaves across Europe and raising fears of a broader U.S.–Russia confrontation spanning oceans and battlefields.