Video: Russia slams US tanker grab as maritime law breach
Abdullateef Fowewe
Russia has condemned the United States’ action after its naval forces boarded and seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera—previously known as M/V Bella 1—in the North Atlantic Ocean, far from any nation’s territorial waters.
The dramatic operation, announced by US European Command, targeted the vessel for alleged violations of US sanctions, heightening already strained tensions between Washington and Moscow.
The Russia’s Ministry of Transport in a statement on Telegram, asserted that the US had no legal authority for the action.
“On December 24, 2025, the Marinera received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian Federation flag, issued in accordance with Russian law and international law. Today, at approximately 3:00 pm Moscow time, the vessel was boarded by US Navy forces in the high seas outside the territorial waters of any state, and contact with the vessel was lost,” the ministry stated.
Quoting the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the statement emphasised global maritime rights, “In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in high seas waters, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states.”
US authorities, however, justified the seizure as enforcement of sanctions.
According to a US European Command post on X, the tanker had evaded a US blockade of sanctioned oil vessels near Venezuela for over two weeks and was tracked by the US Coast Guard cutter Munro before a federal court warrant authorized the boarding.
The Department of Homeland Security led the effort with support from the Department of War, described by officials as a “whole-of-government approach” to national security.
The incident risks further escalation. Russia’s navy has condemned the operation and deployed a submarine to escort related tankers, while NATO allies including the UK provided surveillance assistance.
In response, European nations are bolstering protections for commercial shipping in the Baltic and Black Seas amid fears of broader confrontation.
