The US seized a Russian tanker: the vessel turned out to be fake to bypass sanctions.

According to ТСН: The oil tanker seized by the US, formerly known as Bella 1 and now Marinera, merely pretended to be Russian to avoid sanctions.

This information was announced by US Vice President Jay DiVance in an interview with Fox News. He emphasized that back in December, the vessel did not allow American authorities to board. At the end of the month, the tanker received Russian registration under the name Marinera to protect itself with the help of the Russian Federation.

"This was a fake Russian oil tanker. They were essentially trying to pretend to be a Russian oil tanker to avoid sanctions," DiVance said.

At the time of its seizure, the Marinera tanker had no oil on board. However, Washington claims it is part of a "shadow fleet" of vessels used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela.

Seizure of the tanker

The US seized an oil tanker under the Russian flag. Recently, the vessel, initially known as Bella-1, managed to circumvent the maritime "blockade" of American sanctions and evaded attempts by the US Coast Guard to board.

In Russia, the seizure of the tanker by US military forces has been deemed a violation of international law. The head of the Federation Council's committee on state building, Andrei Klishas, labeled it as "blatant piracy."

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov addressed the US and demanded the "immediate return" of the Russian citizens from the vessel. He also called for "humane treatment" of the crew members and respect for their rights.

This situation is part of a broader crisis resulting from geopolitical tensions between the US and Russia, as well as increasing competition for control over resources. The seizure of the tanker has echoed in global media and provoked a sharp reaction from Moscow, indicating the continuation of the conflict between the states in maritime waters.