The United States has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean after pursuing it for more than two weeks, American officials said, as part of Washington’s efforts to block exports of Venezuelan oil.
According to U.S. sources, the tanker was being monitored by a Russian submarine during the chase. The operation appears to be the first time in recent memory that the U.S. military has detained a vessel sailing under the Russian flag.
The tanker, Marinera, previously known as Bella-1, had initially evaded a U.S. naval “blockade” targeting sanctioned tankers in the Caribbean. It also resisted earlier attempts by the U.S. Coast Guard to board the vessel. The latest interception took place in the Atlantic, near Iceland, and was first reported by Reuters.
Following the seizure, Russia demanded that the United States ensure the humane and dignified treatment of its citizens aboard the tanker and their swift return to Russia. The demand was reported by the Russian state news agency TASS, citing the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The incident has triggered sharp reactions in Moscow. Senior Russian lawmaker Andrei Klishas, a member of the ruling United Russia party, described the seizure of the Russian-flagged tanker as an act of “outright piracy,” according to TASS.
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
