The Russian Navy would have deployed a submarine and other naval assets to escort an oil tanker pursued by the U.S. Coast Guard in the North Atlantic, in an episode that adds tension between Washington and Moscow over control of sanctioned oil trade linked to Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. The vessel, initially identified as Bella 1 and recently renamed Marinera, became a new focal point of diplomatic and military friction in international waters.
Moscow decided to become directly involved by sending naval assets—including a submarine—to accompany the tanker’s navigation. Neither the White House nor the Department of
Defense officially confirmed the type of escort deployed, although the maneuver was interpreted in Washington as an explicit sign of Russian backing for the vessel.
However, it was mentioned that the Russian Navy has previously used Yasen-M–class submarines for presence in international waters, suggesting that a modern attack submarine such as Kazan or a similar unit could be employed in this situation, although the Kremlin did not confirm the type.
Tracking in the North Atlantic
The tanker has been followed for more than two weeks by the U.S. Coast Guard, as part of the offensive driven by the Trump administration against the so-called “dark fleet,” a network of vessels used to transport sanctioned crude oil. According to U.S. authorities, Bella 1 attempted to load oil in Venezuela, failed to complete the operation, and subsequently headed into the North Atlantic to avoid seizure.
Sources indicate that Marinera is heading toward the Russian port of Murmansk and is currently sailing in international waters between the United Kingdom and Iceland. Recent data place it about 480 kilometers south of Iceland, on a course toward the North Sea, while it continues to be monitored by U.S. forces.
Change of name, flag, and registry
During the tracking, the vessel’s crew reportedly rejected an attempted boarding in December. At the same time, the tanker carried out a series of modifications that added legal complexity to the case: it painted a Russian flag on the hull, changed its name to Marinera, and arranged its registration under the Russian flag, designating the city of Sochi as its home port.
The United States maintains that, at the time of the first contact, the vessel did not have a valid nationality and could be considered “stateless,” which would allow its boarding under international law. However, experts cited by U.S. media note that once a ship is legitimately registered under a state, it becomes protected by that flag, limiting the ability of third countries to intercept it.
Official reactions and context
Other sources reported that Russia formally requested that the United States halt the pursuit of the tanker. Along those lines, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Tuesday that it was following “with concern” the situation surrounding Marinera.
For its part, U.S. Southern Command publicly stated that it is prepared to “act against sanctioned vessels and actors linked to illicit economies,” in reference to crude transport operations that violate the current sanctions regime.
A broader background
The Bella 1/Marinera case fits into a global scenario marked by the tightening of Western sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Since then, a network of tankers with opaque ownership structures, without Western insurance, and employing evasion practices such as switching off identification systems or conducting cargo transfers in poorly monitored areas has expanded.
Washington considers this fleet to pose an economic and environmental threat, while Moscow rejects that characterization and maintains that the imposed sanctions are illegitimate. The deployment of Russian naval assets to escort Marinera adds a new dimension to the conflict and raises the level of tension in the North Atlantic.
*Images used for illustrative purposes.
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