RUSSIA has reportedly deployed a submarine and other naval vessels to escort an oil tanker across the Atlantic as it is shadowed by US forces.
The ship, currently sailing between Iceland and the British Isles, is accused by Washington of breaching US sanctions by transporting Iranian oil. While it has previously carried Venezuelan crude, it is understood to be empty at present.
Formerly known as Bella 1, the vessel has been renamed Marinera and is said to have been reflagged from Guyana to Russia.
Last month, President Donald Trump announced he was ordering a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, a move the Venezuelan government denounced as “theft”.
Two US officials have told CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner, that Russia has dispatched a submarine and additional navy vessels to escort the tanker. The US Coast Guard attempted to board the ship in the Caribbean last month when it was believed to be bound for Venezuela, armed with a warrant to seize it over alleged sanctions violations.
Since then, the tanker has dramatically altered course. Its movement towards Europe has coincided with the arrival in the region of around 10 US military transport aircraft and several helicopters.
Moscow says it is “monitoring with concern” developments surrounding the vessel. In a statement, Russia’s foreign ministry said: “At present, our vessel 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.
“For reasons unclear to us, the Russian ship is being given increased and clearly disproportionate attention by the US and Nato military, despite its peaceful status.”
US officials told CBS News earlier this week that American forces were planning to board the ship, with Washington preferring seizure over sinking.
BBC Verify has analysed footage released by Russia Today, reportedly filmed onboard an oil tanker, showing a vessel in the distance that matches the profile of a US Coast Guard Legend-class cutter. It has also been tracking the Marinera’s reported position. AIS data from the ship-tracking platform Marine Traffic placed it on Tuesday morning in the North Atlantic, around 300km (186 miles) south of Iceland’s coast. Earlier AIS data indicates it travelled north past the western coast of the UK over the previous two days.
On Tuesday, the US military’s Southern Command said on social media that it “remains ready to support our US government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region.
“Our sea services are vigilant, agile, and postured to track vessels of interest. When the call comes, we will be there.”
Any US military operation launched from the UK would be expected to be communicated to British authorities. For now, the Ministry of Defence says it will not comment on the military activities of other nations.
The US officials cited by CBS suggested Washington could mount an operation similar to one carried out last month, when American forces seized the Skipper, a large crude oil tanker flagged to Guyana, shortly after it departed a Venezuelan port.
Under international law, ships sailing under a national flag are afforded the protection of that state. However, simply changing a vessel’s name or flag does not necessarily alter its legal standing, according to Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance analyst at maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
“US action is driven by the vessel’s underlying identity – its IMO number – as well as ownership and control networks and sanctions history, not by its painted markings or claimed flag,” he told BBC Verify.
Michelle Bockmann, a maritime intelligence analyst at Windward, said reflagging to Russia could “complicate US enforcement efforts”.
“Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, there is a provision allowing stateless vessels to be boarded by authorities. By reflagging to Russia, the vessel can no longer be boarded under this provision,” she said.
While vessels have been known to change flags mid-voyage, Ms Bockmann added that it is “highly unusual and typically only seen with dark fleet tankers”.
The potential stand-off comes just days after the US stunned the international community with the arrest of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, in Caracas. During the operation, US forces reportedly bombarded targets in the city while extracting Mr Maduro and his wife on suspicion of weapons and drugs offences.
Since his arrest, BBC Verify has identified three US-sanctioned tankers that have switched to a Russian registry, including the Marinera. This appears to be part of a wider pattern.
Following the seizure of the Skipper, BBC Verify has identified 19 US-sanctioned oil tankers that have reflagged to Russia, many of which had previously operated under false flags.
