Russia says US seizure of oil tanker violates maritime law

Russia sends submarine to escort oil tanker targeted by Americans near Venezuela Russia issued a statement accusing the United States of violating maritime law after the seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker that was under a Russian flag, this Wednesday (7). ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The Russian Ministry of Transport confirmed that the vessel identified as Marinera – previously called Bella 1 – was lost after an approach by American naval forces. “In accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies on the high seas, and no State has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other States,” the statement said. A prominent Russian lawmaker from the ruling United Russia party, Andrei Klishas, ​​also spoke out. It classified the seizure as a “brazen act of piracy”, according to state news agency TASS. The seizure of the oil tanker was also confirmed by the US Army. The interception was revealed firsthand by the Reuters news agency hours earlier. Archive photo of the Marinera tanker, formerly Bella 1, target of US sanctions. Hakon Rimmereid/via REUTERS The vessel, previously called Bella 1, had been escorted by a Russian submarine in recent days, according to US media, and the tanker’s seizure has the potential to escalate tensions between Washington and Moscow. “The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Department of War, today announce the seizure of the vessel M/V Bella 1 for violating US sanctions. The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a US federal court, after being tracked by the [navio] USCGC Munro,” the US Army’s European Command said in a statement. According to the Associated Press news agency, US troops boarded the tanker. Authorities told Reuters that Russian military ships were in the general area of the operation, including a Russian submarine. It is unclear, however, how close the vessels were to the tanker. There were no signs of a confrontation between US and Russian military forces. After the seizure, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated that the tanker blockade Venezuelans “remains in force around the world.” The Russian government had not officially commented on the seizure until the last update of this report. The Russian TV “RT”, financed by the Kremlin, published images of a helicopter that was trying to land troops on the ship. According to “RT” sources, the aircraft belonged to the USA. See below. seized since then. At the time, the vessel was near Venezuela and fled to the Atlantic Ocean. The oil tanker, previously called Bella 1 and which had a Panamanian flag, was renamed and is now sailing under Russian supervision. (Read more below) Also this Wednesday, the US announced the seizure of another oil tanker linked to Venezuela, the fourth recorded in recent weeks. Venezuela’s “ghost fleet” and is the target of sanctions, is part of the US government’s pressure campaign against the Venezuelan regime. US President Donald Trump imposed a “total blockade” on the country’s oil tankers in December and seized two of these vessels in 2025. The seizure attempt, even if it is not successful, has the potential to further escalate tensions between the US and Russia. This is because, in addition to the escort, the Kremlin has carried out in recent years. In the last few days, a formal request was made to the White House to stop pursuing the oil tanker. The oil tanker was recently seen in the North Atlantic Ocean, near Iceland, according to monitoring websites. week, the Kremlin had already asked the US to stop the pursuit of the oil tanker. The diplomatic request was made on Wednesday (31). The White House, the US State Department and the Russian government did not comment on the case until the last update. will deliver millions of barrels of oil to the USA The initial interception of the oil tanker Bella 1 by the US Coast Guard took place on December 16. The vessel was entering Latin American waters and approaching Venezuela. However, US forces were unable to seize the ship, because the crew resisted the attack, changed its route and fled towards the Atlantic Ocean. It was destined for Venezuela to load oil. In the following days, the ship tried to obtain protection from Russia by painting a flag on the hull and informing the US Coast Guard by radio that it was sailing under Russian authority, according to the newspaper. Since then, the tanker began to appear in the official ship registry as belonging to Russia and with a new name, Marinera. The indicated port of origin is Sochi, a Russian city in the Black Sea. The increase in pressure comes amid a large United States military presence in the Caribbean, with more than 15,000 troops, including an aircraft carrier, 11 other warships and F-35 fighter jets.

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