US troops boarded the tanker Marinera, which changed its flag to Russian during pursuit
US military forces have seized the oil tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1), which is allegedly linked to Russia. This is the first instance of Americans seizing a «shadow fleet» vessel sailing under the Russian flag.
Reuters reports the start of the operation, citing sources, as do Russian channels, particularly RT, which published photos and videos of the incident. According to available information, military personnel, presumably American, boarded the vessel. Following this, the tanker, which was in the North Sea, changed its course to the south.
According to Reuters, the operation is being carried out by the US Coast Guard and Armed Forces, with a landing party having boarded. At the time of the operation, Russian military vessels, including a Russian submarine, were in close proximity. Russia dispatched Navy ships towards the tanker, but this did not deter the Americans.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told TASS that it is following the situation with concern. The ministry expressed surprise that a Russian vessel is «receiving heightened and clearly disproportionate attention to its peaceful status from the US and NATO military.»
The pursuit of the tanker lasted several weeks. The vessel, formerly named Bella 1 and sailing under the Panamanian flag, was on US sanctions lists due to the transportation of Iranian oil.
The conflict escalated in late December when the vessel was en route to Venezuela. It was unable to enter port and load oil because the Americans attempted to catch and intercept it there. The tanker's crew then prevented US military personnel from boarding, leading to the pursuit.
Fleeing the pursuit, the crew resorted to a trick: they painted an image of the Russian flag on their side. A few days after the incident, the vessel changed its name from Bella 1 to Marinera. It was also promptly entered into the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
In response to the pursuit, as reported by The Wall Street Journal citing a US official, Russia dispatched a submarine and other naval assets to escort the empty oil tanker. According to the publication, prior to the seizure, the vessel was approximately 300 miles (~480 km) south of Iceland and heading towards the North Sea, where it continued to be tracked by the US Coast Guard.
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