Russia accuses the US of inciting ‘political and military’ tensions with the seizure of an oil tanker and speaks of ‘extremely tense relations’

Video shows US Coast Guard ship docking with Marinera oil tanker The Russian government accused the United States on Thursday (8) of inciting “military and political tensions” after the seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic Ocean, as part of Washington’s blockade of Venezuelan oil exports. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp “It is regrettable and alarming that Washington is willing to provoke serious international crises,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement. The ministry said that the seizure of the Marinera tanker, carried out by the US Coast Guard on Wednesday, could further deteriorate “extremely tense Russian-American relations”, which have worsened due to disagreements accumulated in recent years. The Russian government also stated that the seizure of this oil tanker by the United States and London’s complicity were “dangerous and irresponsible”. Putin and Trump Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS; REUTERS/Leah Millis The name and exact status of the ship and the legality of the operation are subject to dispute. Moscow calls the tanker Marinera and says it obtained provisional authorization to sail under the Russian flag on December 24. But, for Washington, the ship is called Bella 1, it has no flag after having sailed under a false flag and is part of the Venezuelan ghost fleet used to transport oil targeted by American sanctions. The Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday rejected these accusations of sailing under a false flag, assuring that Moscow had repeatedly provided “reliable information” about the ship’s Russian ownership and status. The ministry also recalled that international law “expressly” establishes that ships on the high seas are under the exclusive jurisdiction of the flag State. “The arrest and search of a ship on the high seas is only possible based on a closed list of reasons, such as piracy or slave trafficking, which evidently do not apply to the Marinera,” stated the ministry. “In all other cases, such actions are only authorized with the consent of the flag state – in this case, Russia,” he added. During a military operation carried out on Wednesday between Iceland and Scotland, American coast guards, with British support, intercepted and took control of the oil tanker, with empty tanks, which they had been pursuing since December 21. US shows Coast Guard ship pairing with Marinera tanker during seizure operation in the North Atlantic Ocean on January 7, 2026. Disclosure/US Coast Guard See the videos trending on g1 Details of the Marinera tanker, seized by the US. art/ g1

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