Russia’s Foreign Ministry has stated that it is closely monitoring what it described as an “abnormal situation” involving the Russian oil tanker Marinera.
The Ministry claimed that we and NATO military forces are tracking the tanker.
According to the ministry, on January 6, the tanker is operating in international waters in the North Atlantic under the Russian flag and in full compliance with international maritime law.
“Russia monitoring the “anomalous situation” surrounding the Russian oil tanker Mariner, which is receiving “increased and clearly disproportionate attention from the US and NATO military,” the Foreign Ministry told TASS.
“”The vessel sails in the international waters of the North Atlantic under the state flag of the Russian Federation and in full compliance with the norms of international maritime law.”
Russia Says US and NATO Tracking Oil Tanker
The vessel was previously registered as the Panamanian tanker Bella 1, and was renamed Marinera shortly before the New Year.
Russian officials say the tanker has been under surveillance by US forces since December 21, with reports indicating that US Navy Boeing P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft have been monitoring its movements.
The tanker is currently believed to be within the UK maritime area, with questions remaining over how the standoff will ultimately unfold.
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US authorities classified the tanker as part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a network of ships used to evade international energy sanctions.
Washington had previously seized two tankers carrying Venezuelan oil—the Skipper and Centuries—as part of the same enforcement campaign.
In response, on New Year’s Eve, Russia formally requested that the United States cease its pursuit of an oil tanker destined initially for Venezuela.
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US Sanctioned the Vessel
The vessel had been under US sanctions since 2024 for allegedly transporting Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil on behalf of Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In December 2025, the Coast Guard began tracking and pursuing the vessel, then known as Bella 1. Still, the effort was suspended after it was transferred to a new owner, renamed Marinera, and reflagged under the Russian flag.
The United States was reportedly preparing to potentially intercept the Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean as part of an expanded campaign to enforce sanctions on energy shipments, according to US intelligence sources cited by CBS News in January.
CBS News also reported that US intelligence had learned of discussions among Venezuelan officials about deploying armed personnel disguised as civilian crew on oil tankers, and possibly placing portable, Soviet-era air defence systems on commercial vessels.
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