Russia sends navy ships to guard Venezuelan oil tanker being pursued by US in North Atlantic showdown
Russia has sent naval units to protect a sanctioned oil tanker as it transits the Atlantic, amid growing threats from the United States to seize the ship.
The move comes after US forces were said to be preparing to board the ship, which has a long history of transporting Venezuelan crude and is believed to have last sailed between Scotland and Iceland.
According to CBS News, Russia stepped in to escort the tanker as tensions escalated on the high seas.
The currently empty ship previously operated under the name Bella 1. Last month, the US Coast Guard attempted to board the ship in the Caribbean with an order to seize it for allegedly violating US sanctions and carrying Iranian oil.
However, the tanker then suddenly changed course, changed its name to Marinera, and reportedly returned to Russia from Guyana.
Donald Trump announced last month that he had ordered a ‘blockade’ of sanctioned oil tankers entering and exiting Venezuela; this was a policy that the government in Caracas called ‘theft’.
Ahead of the U.S. capture of the country’s former leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump repeatedly accused the Venezuelan government of using ships to smuggle drugs into the United States.
Two US officials told CBS News on Tuesday that American forces plan to land on the Marinera and that Washington would prefer to capture the ship rather than sink it.
Moscow’s Foreign Ministry said it expects Western countries to respect the principles of freedom of navigation.
Russia has sent naval units to protect a sanctioned oil tanker as it transits the Atlantic, amid growing threats from the United States to seize the ship.
The US military’s Southern Command amplified this message in a social media post, stating that “the US government stands ready to support our agency partners in confronting sanctioned ships and actors transiting through this region.”
‘Our marine services are structured to be alert, agile and follow the vessels of interest. ‘We will be there when the call comes.’
The tanker’s north Atlantic location, combined with harsh weather conditions and long distances from land, is thought to have made any boarding operations difficult.
AIS tracking data, which may have been faked or falsified, suggested the ship was about 2,000 km (1,200 miles) west of continental Europe on Tuesday.
Its approach to Europe also coincided with the arrival of approximately 10 US military transport planes and helicopters.
Russia said it was ‘monitoring with concern’ the situation around the ship and accused the US and NATO of excessive scrutiny.
“Currently, our ship is sailing 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,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
‘For reasons unclear to us, increasing and clearly disproportionate attention is being paid to the Russian ship by the US and NATO military, despite its peaceful status.
‘We expect Western countries that have declared their commitment to freedom of navigation on the high seas to begin adhering to this principle themselves.’
According to international law, ships are protected by the country whose flag they fly. But maritime experts say rebranding the tanker is unlikely to deter U.S. action.
Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance analyst at maritime intelligence firm Kpler, told BBC Verify that changing the ship’s name and flag didn’t make much sense.
‘US action is guided by the underlying identity of the ship’ [IMO number]”Not with ownership/control networks and enforcement history, painted signs or flag claims,” he said.
RAF warplanes scrambled to intercept a Venezuelan oil tanker in the Atlantic yesterday as the US planned a dramatic mission to capture it. Picture: A CV-22B Osprey was seen performing winching exercises off the coast of Felixstowe.
Ampatzidis added that switching to the Russian registry could trigger ‘diplomatic friction’ but would not necessarily prevent US sanctions.
The UK is expected to inform Washington’s ally before any US military operation is launched. For now, the UK Ministry of Defense has declined to comment, saying it will not discuss the military activities of other nations.
There may be a repeat of scenes last month when the US Coast Guard carried out a dramatic raid on the tanker The Skipper, which was being used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
The US says the network of shadow ships provides funding for “foreign terrorist organisations”, citing armed US personnel landing on the Skipper from helicopters.
Tankers and cargo ships have been fleeing Venezuela as the United States has increased pressure on the country in recent weeks.
Mr. Trump imposed a blockade on all sanctioned tankers heading to Venezuela in December. However, Marinera eluded the US authorities and set off across the Atlantic.
More than a dozen sanctioned tankers escaped from Venezuela in ‘dark mode’ in a bid to evade the US blockade.
The 16 ships, mostly loaded with Venezuelan crude oil and fuel, used tactics such as hiding their location or shutting down transmission signals.
According to Reuters, bosses of US oil companies are expected to visit the White House starting tomorrow to discuss investments in Venezuela.
A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: ‘We do not routinely comment on the operational activities of other nations, including the use of UK bases by third parties.
‘The US is the UK’s principal defense and security partner. ‘The depth of our defense relationship with the United States remains an important part of our security.’
