Russia has dispatched navy assets to protect a sanctioned oil tanker as it crosses the Atlantic, amid mounting threats from the US to seize the vessel.
The move comes after US forces were said to be preparing to board the ship, which has a long history of transporting Venezuelan crude oil and was last believed to be sailing between Scotland and Iceland.
According to CBS News, Russia has now stepped in to escort the tanker in a development that could lead to a dramatic showdown between the superpowers on the high seas.
The vessel, which is currently empty, had previously operated under the name Bella 1. Last month, the US Coast Guard attempted to board it in the Caribbean, armed with a warrant to seize the ship over alleged breaches of US sanctions and claims it had shipped Iranian oil.
However, the tanker then abruptly changed course, renamed itself Marinera and reportedly reflagged from Guyana to Russia.
Donald Trump last month said he had ordered a ‘blockade’ of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, a policy the government in Caracas branded ‘theft’.
In the run-up to the US seizure of the country’s former leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump repeatedly accused Venezuela’s government of using ships to smuggle drugs into the US.
Two US officials told CBS News on Tuesday that American forces were planning to board the Marinera and that Washington would prefer to seize the vessel rather than sink it.
Moscow’s Foreign Ministry says it expects Western countries to respect principles of freedom of navigation.
The US military’s Southern Command reinforced that message in a social media post, saying 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.’
The tanker’s north Atlantic position, combined with rough weather and long distances from land, is thought to be making any boarding operation difficult.
AIS tracking data, which can be spoofed or falsified, suggested the ship was around 2,000km (1,200 miles) west of continental Europe on Tuesday.
Its approach towards Europe has also coincided with the arrival of around 10 US military transport aircraft and helicopters.
Russia said it was ‘monitoring with concern’ the situation surrounding the ship and accused the US and Nato of excessive scrutiny.
‘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,’ Russia’s foreign ministry said.
‘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.
‘We expect that Western countries, which declare their commitment to freedom of navigation on the high seas, will begin adhering to this principle themselves.’
Under international law, ships are protected by the country whose flag they fly. But maritime experts say the tanker’s rebranding is unlikely to deter US action.
Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance analyst at maritime intelligence firm Kpler, told BBC Verify that changing the ship’s name and flag may count for little.
‘US action is driven by the vessel’s underlying identity [IMO number], ownership/control networks, and sanctions history, not by its painted markings or flag claim,’ he said.
Ampatzidis added that switching to the Russian registry could spark ‘diplomatic friction’ but would not necessarily prevent US enforcement.
Before any US military operation launched from the UK, Washington would be expected to inform its ally. For now, the UK Ministry of Defence has declined to comment, saying it will not discuss the military activities of other nations.
It could see a repeat of scenes from last month when the US Coast Guard led a dramatic raid on The Skipper, a tanker used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran.
Ten days later, another vessel named the Centuries carrying Venezuelan oil was halted and boarded, but not seized.
The US says the network of shadow vessels raises funds for ‘foreign terrorist organisations’, using the cause as justification for armed US personnel abseiling from helicopters onto The Skipper.
Tankers and cargo ships have been fleeing Venezuela as the US had increased its pressure on the country in recent weeks.
Mr Trump imposed a blockade of all sanctioned tankers bound for Venezuela in December. But the Marinera evaded US officials and set off across the Atlantic.
More than a dozen sanctioned tankers fled Venezuela in ‘dark mode’ in an effort to evade the US blockade.
The 16 vessels, mostly loaded with Venezuelan crude oil and fuel, used tactics that included disguising their locations or turning off their transmission signals.
Bosses from US oil companies are expected to visit the White House as early as tomorrow to discuss investments in Venezuela, Reuters reported.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘As routine, we do not comment on the operational activity of other nations, including third party use of UK bases.
‘The US is the UK’s principal defence and security partner. The depth of our defence relationship with the US remains an essential part of our security.’
