Russia has sent naval ships to guard an oil tanker after it was reported that US forces were tracking it in the Atlantic Ocean, the BBC reports.
The ship, which is currently empty, is believed to have been between Iceland and Scotland on the 6th of January. It has previously been carrying Venezuelan crude. US President Donald Trump said in December that he had ordered the blockade of sanctioned tankers trying to enter or leave Venezuelan ports. Caracas called it robbery.
Before the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on the 3rd of January, Trump had repeatedly accused Venezuela of using ships to smuggle drugs into the US.
The US Coast Guard attempted to board the Bella 1 tanker in December while it was in the Caribbean, possibly en route to Venezuela. The Americans had a warrant for its arrest, citing violations of US sanctions and the transportation of Iranian oil. The ship then changed course dramatically, renamed itself the Marinera, and changed its flag from Guyana to Russia.
The tanker’s approach to Europe coincided with the arrival of about a dozen US military aircraft and helicopters,
and Russia has said it is watching the situation near the ship with concern. Two US officials told CBS News on the 6th of January that US forces plan to board the ship and that Washington would prefer to seize it rather than sink it.
The Marinera was in rough weather on Tuesday night, making it difficult to disembark.
The British Ministry of Defense said it would not comment on the military activities of other countries at this time.
Automatic Identification System tracking data showed that the Mariner was in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 2,000 kilometers from mainland Europe, on the 6th of January. It should be noted that automatic data can be faked or manipulated. According to international law, a ship is protected by the country under whose flag it sails. However, as noted by Dimitris Ampatzidis, an analyst at the maritime intelligence company Kpler, in this case, changing the name and flag of the ship will not help much, because the US looks at the identification number of the vessel and historically applied sanctions, not the flag hoisted on the mast. He added that adopting the Russian flag may cause diplomatic friction, but will not stop the US authorities.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that the ship is currently in international waters and is acting in full accordance with the relevant legislation. The ministry stressed that, despite its peaceful status, the ship is receiving disproportionate attention from the US and NATO: “We expect that Western countries, which declare their commitment to freedom of navigation on the high seas, will begin adhering to this principle themselves.”
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