Russia Accuses U.S. of ‘Gross Violation’ of Maritime Law in High-Seas Tanker Seizure

January 9th, 2026

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the January 7 seizure of the oil tanker Marinera in international waters of the North Atlantic by U.S. forces, calling it an “illegal use of force” that threatens to escalate military tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region.

The Marinera — formerly known as Bella 1 — was taken by U.S. Coast Guard and military forces following a weeks-long pursuit that began in late December, when the vessel refused orders to stop in the Caribbean before heading into the Atlantic.

The tanker was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in June 2024 for transporting oil on behalf of networks linked to Hezbollah and Iran’s IRGC-Qods Force. American authorities also said the tanker was operating without a legitimate flag when first approached, rendering it effectively stateless and therefore subject to interdiction.

In a statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the ship had been “temporarily authorized to fly the Russian flag on December 24 in accordance with international and Russian law” and was “peacefully transiting international waters en route to a Russian port” at the time of the seizure.

“Under these circumstances, the boarding and de facto seizure of a civilian vessel on the high seas by U.S. military personnel, along with the detention of its crew, can only be viewed as a gross violation of fundamental principles of international maritime law and freedom of navigation,” the ministry said.

Moscow said it had formally protested the pursuit of the Marinera in recent weeks, demanding that U.S. forces end their tracking of the vessel and withdraw what it described as unlawful demands made to the ship’s master. Russia claims it provided “reliable information” confirming the tanker’s Russian registration and civilian status and explicitly refused consent for any interdiction.

The statement argued that international law grants flag states exclusive jurisdiction over vessels on the high seas, and that stopping ships is permitted only in limited cases such as piracy or slave trading — “neither of which apply to the Marinera.”

U.S. officials dispute that account, saying the reflagging was a last-minute attempt to evade enforcement. U.S. European Command said the vessel was seized “pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court” for alleged violations of U.S. sanctions related to prohibited oil trading.

The Marinera seizure was part of coordinated predawn operations on January 7 that also captured the tanker Sophia in the Caribbean, which U.S. officials described as the most aggressive phase yet of Washington’s campaign against vessels supporting illicit oil trade and blockade of sanctioned vessels around Venezuela. UK forces provided basing and surveillance support for the North Atlantic interdiction.

According to TankerTrackers.com, the Marinera carried more than 20 million barrels of Iranian and Venezuelan crude between 2021 and 2025, although the vessel is currently unladen.

Russia dismissed U.S. reliance on domestic sanctions law as having “no legal foundation,” warning the incident could further destabilize maritime security and lower the threshold for the use of force against civilian shipping. Moscow has called on Washington to halt what it describes as unlawful actions and to ensure humane treatment of Russian citizens aboard the ship.

The January 7 seizures bring the number of tankers taken by U.S. authorities to four in less than a month, underscoring what appears to be a significant escalation in Washington’s enforcement posture against the global sanctions-busting tanker trade.