Russia has issued a strong diplomatic response following the United States’ seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera, a vessel Washington says was linked to Venezuelan oil shipments and suspected of violating U.S. sanctions. The tanker, formerly known as Bella-1, was intercepted in the North Atlantic after a weeks-long pursuit by U.S. forces aimed at enforcing sanctions and blocking Venezuelan oil exports.
Moscow’s Foreign Ministry condemned the operation as an unlawful use of force against a ship legally registered under the Russian flag, citing provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea governing freedom of navigation on the high seas. The Russian government has demanded that the U.S. ensure humane and dignified treatment of Russian nationals aboard the vessel and allow for their prompt return home.
Russia’s Transport Ministry also protested the loss of contact with the ship after U.S. forces boarded it, saying the tanker had been granted temporary authorization to sail under the Russian flag at the end of December. Moscow has framed the seizure as a violation of international maritime law and stepped up diplomatic pressure on Washington over the incident.
