MOSCOW, January 8 — Russia has strongly condemned the U.S. seizure of the oil tanker Marinera, calling the operation a violation of international maritime law and asserting the vessel was lawfully flying the Russian flag. The diplomatic clash centers on conflicting interpretations of jurisdiction on the high seas.
What is Russia’s legal argument?
In a detailed statement on Telegram, Russia’s Ministry of Transport asserted the tanker Marinera (formerly the Bella 1) received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian flag on December 24, 2025. It said the boarding by U.S. naval forces occurred in international waters, outside any state’s territorial jurisdiction. Citing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the ministry stressed that “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.”
How did the US justify the seizure?
U.S. European Command announced the seizure of the vessel under a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court for violations of U.S. sanctions. Authorities stated the tanker had been tracked for weeks after evading a U.S. blockade near Venezuela. According to the U.S., the ship’s history of evading sanctions and its alleged “stateless” status before reflagging cancel legal protections and justify enforcement under U.S. law.
What is the core conflict?
The dispute centers on two opposing legal interpretations.
- Russia says a ship under a sovereign flag is shielded from foreign interference on the high seas.
- The U.S. says vessels tied to sanctions evasion, especially those that switch flags to dodge enforcement, can still be stopped under national law.
The tanker’s history deepens the rift: it was sanctioned in 2024 and later renamed and reflagged to Russia in late December 2025, a step U.S. officials view as calculated.
What happens next diplomatically?
The episode has raised tensions further. Russia has described the move as “international piracy,” while the U.S. maintains it was legal sanctions enforcement. Russian naval units escorted the tanker before it was seized, underlining its strategic value. Diplomatic and legal disputes are expected to persist, with the issue possibly taken to international maritime forums.
FAQ: The US-Russia tanker dispute
Q: When did the tanker become Russian-flagged?
A: Moscow says the Marinera was given temporary permission to sail under the Russian flag on December 24, 2025.
Q: Where was the tanker seized?
A: According to Russia, it was boarded in international waters (“the high seas”) outside any state’s territorial waters.
Q: What law is Russia citing?
A: Moscow refers to the 1982 UNCLOS treaty, which upholds freedom of navigation and bars other states from interfering with ships on the high seas.
Q: What is the US’s legal basis?
A: The U.S. moved under a federal court warrant tied to sanctions violations, saying the vessel’s behavior removed its legal safeguards.
Q: Has this happened before?
A: Seizures of sanctioned vessels occur, but the forceful boarding of a recently reflagged vessel on the high seas by a rival military power is a significant escalation.
