A view of the Overseas Mulan tanker ship (later renamed the Bella 1 and Marinera) at sea just outside the port of Rotterdam in August 2014 in the Netherlands. On 7 January, she was seized in the North Atlantic ocean by American forces.
Arjan Elmendorp/Getty Images
- The United States seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, claiming it was carrying oil for Venezuela, Russia, and Iran in violation of Western sanctions.
- Moscow accused the US of stoking international tensions and threatening shipping, stating the ship was sailing legally under international law.
- The incident reflects growing frustrations between Washington and Moscow, particularly over lack of progress on diplomatic efforts to end the Ukraine war.
Russia on Thursday accused the United States of stoking tensions and threatening international shipping with its seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic a day earlier.
The US has said the ship carried oil for states like Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of Western sanctions and seized it after an American raid toppled Moscow’s ally Nicolas Maduro in Caracas.
Moscow’s foreign ministry said the move will “only result in further military and political tensions”, adding that it was worried by “Washington’s willingness to generate acute international crisis situations.”
The US seizure came as Washington grew frustrated with Moscow as little progress on its diplomatic push to end the war in Ukraine has been made.
It seized the ship days after US President Donald Trump said he was “not thrilled” with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
READ | Russia sends submarine as US moves to seize sanctions-busting oil tanker
Trump also said in recent days he did not believe Putin’s claim that Kyiv tried to attack his residence.
Moscow said the ship was sailing “in accordance to the norms of international law and under Russian law’s temporary allowance to sail under the state flag of the Russian Federation.”
It said it was heading to a Russian port and that Moscow had several times informed US authorities of its “civilian peaceful status.”
The US has said the crew could be prosecuted – which the Russian foreign ministry said was “categorically unacceptable.”
U.S. forces seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Bella 1/Marinera in the North Atlantic today, after chasing it from the Caribbean.
Seen here, a MH-6M Little Bird prepares to insert a boarding team on the ship. pic.twitter.com/9NwMLMUpOt
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 7, 2026
Moscow also said it considered Western sanctions “illegitimate”, adding that they cannot be used as a “justification” to “seize ships in high seas.”
It also accused Britain – which has said it provided support to the US in the tanker seizure – of “long being engaged in maritime piracy.”
The UK said it had provided “pre-planned operation support” to the US in the ship seizure.
