Russia’s foreign ministry has accused the United States of “unlawful actions” after US forces seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in international waters. Moscow said the seizure violates international maritime law and risks further escalating already strained Russia–US relations.
In an official statement issued on Thursday, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov called on Washington to respect established principles of international maritime law and immediately halt actions against the Marinera and other civilian vessels operating on the high seas. This comes after US forces seized the tanker on January 7.
The statement read, “Alongside the US administration's disregard for the accepted norms of international maritime navigation, Washington's readiness to provoke acute international crises, including in Russian-American relations, which are already severely strained, is both regrettable and alarming.”
According to the ministry, the incident involving the Marinera could lead to a further escalation of military and political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region and lower the threshold for the use of force against civilian shipping.
“The Marinera incident can only lead to a further escalation of military-political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic region and a dangerous lowering of the threshold for using force against civilian shipping. Encouraged by Washington's irresponsible example, other actors may feel emboldened to take similar actions.”
The ministry also accused the United Kingdom of involvement, claiming British authorities had openly acknowledged their role in the US military operation in North Atlantic waters.
Russia maintained that the Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1, had been temporarily authorised to sail under the Russian flag on December 24, in accordance with both Russian and international law. The vessel, it said, was peacefully transiting international waters in the North Atlantic en route to a Russian port.
The ministry stressed that US authorities had been repeatedly informed of the tanker’s legal status and civilian nature. “There could have been no doubt regarding this fact, nor any basis for alleging that the tanker was sailing ‘without a flag’ or ‘under a false flag’,” the statement said.
Citing international maritime law, Russia argued that only the flag state has jurisdiction over its vessels on the high seas.
“International maritime law explicitly grants the flag state exclusive jurisdiction over its vessels on the high seas. Stopping and inspecting a vessel in international waters is permitted only under narrowly defined circumstances, such as suspected piracy or slave trading - neither of which apply to the Marinera. In all other cases, such actions require the consent of the flag state, which in this instance is Russia,” the statement further read.
The ministry added that Russia had refused to grant consent and had formally protested to US authorities in recent weeks over the continued pursuit of the vessel by a US Coast Guard ship.
Under these circumstances, the ministry said, “the boarding and de facto seizure of a civilian vessel on the high seas by US military personnel, along with the detention of its crew, can only be viewed as a gross violation of fundamental principles and norms of international maritime law and the freedom of navigation.”
Russia also raised concerns about the safety of the crew, which includes citizens of several countries, and warned of environmental risks due to the seizure being carried out in severe weather conditions.
Rejecting US references to domestic sanctions laws, the Russian foreign ministry said unilateral sanctions imposed by Washington and its allies have no legal foundation under international law and cannot justify the seizure of vessels on the high seas.
“Suggestions from certain US officials that the seizure of the Marinera is part of a broader strategy to establish Washington's unlimited control over Venezuela's natural resources are profoundly cynical. We categorically reject such neo-colonial ambitions,” the statement added.
In a post on social media platform X, the ministry wrote: “We call on Washington to immediately cease its unlawful actions against the Marinera and other vessels engaged in lawful activities on the high seas. We reiterate our demand that the US ensure appropriate treatment of the Russian citizens on board.”
The Transport ministry also condemns seizure
Russia’s transport ministry on Wednesday said that the US had no legal right to use force against a vessel lawfully registered under another country’s jurisdiction.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the ministry said the Marinera was boarded by US naval forces in international waters, after which contact with the ship was lost.
“In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 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,” the statement read.
How did the US seize the tanker?
The seizure followed a weeks-long pursuit by the US Coast Guard. The tanker, originally called Bella 1, had been sanctioned by the US in 2024 for operating as part of a so-called “shadow fleet” transporting illicit oil linked to Iran and Venezuela.
Last month, US authorities attempted to seize the vessel while it was operating under the Guyana flag and heading toward Venezuela. The crew refused boarding and abruptly changed course into the Atlantic. The ship was later renamed Marinera and re-registered under the Russian flag.
According to US officials, military assets were repositioned to the UK ahead of the operation. The tanker was eventually seized around 190 miles south of Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean.
US European Command said the operation was carried out under a federal court warrant for violations of US sanctions, with support from multiple US agencies. UK defence officials confirmed they assisted the US following a request for help.