Russia has responded to the US seizure of the oil tanker Marinera in the Atlantic Ocean. The Russian Ministry of Transport stated that the tanker has temporary permission to sail under the Russian flag and that its detention violates the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
This is stated in a report by the Russian Ministry of Transport.
On December 24, 2025, the Marinera “received temporary permission to sail under the national flag of the Russian Federation, issued on the basis of Russian legislation and international law.” Today, at around 3:00 p.m. Moscow time, US naval forces boarded the ship in international waters outside the territorial waters of any state, and contact with the ship was lost.
“In accordance with the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in the open sea, and no state has the right to use force against ships duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states,” the Ministry of Transport said.
Recall that US Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said that the crew of the Marinera changed the flag during the pursuit and tried to give the ship a new name. Nielsen called this “desperate and failed attempts to evade justice.”
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow is closely monitoring reports of the landing of US military personnel on a ship flying the Russian flag.
“The Russian Federation demands that the American side ensure humane and dignified treatment of Russian citizens on the Marinera, strictly observing their rights and interests. The US must not prevent the Russians from the Marinera from returning to their homeland as soon as possible,” the ministry said.
As a reminder, today the US seized a Russian oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the Atlantic Ocean, which it had been pursuing for two weeks. The Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1, is suspected of violating US sanctions and transporting Iranian oil.