Russia slams 'unacceptable' US strikes on boats from Venezuela

Russia on Tuesday denounced as illegal and "unacceptable" US strikes on boats from Venezuela — a Moscow ally — that Washington says are transporting drugs.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have dramatically risen in recent days, with US President Donald Trump launching a military deployment in the Caribbean Sea and conducting strikes on Venezuelan boats. 

"This is how, in general, lawless countries act, as well as those who consider themselves above the law," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in televised remarks, questioning what he called the United States' "pretext of fighting drugs". 

Venezuela is led by President Nicolas Maduro, who has relied on the Kremlin for political and economic support. 

Lavrov said the United States had been "destroying (the boats) without trial or investigation, and not only without trial and investigation, but without presenting any facts to anyone".

US-Russia relations have increasingly soured in recent weeks, as Trump has voiced frustration with Moscow and the lack of a resolution to the Ukraine war.