US releases crew of seized Russian tanker after Moscow protests
United States authorities have freed all crew members, including three Indian nationals, from the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera following its seizure in the North Atlantic early January. The move ends a tense standoff that began on January 7 when U.S. Navy SEALs and Coast Guard forces boarded the vessel 190 miles south of Iceland after an 18-day, 4,000-mile pursuit across the ocean. Previously known as Bella-1, the ship had evaded an earlier boarding attempt near Venezuela in December before gaining temporary Russian registry on December 24.
The tanker belonged to a "shadow fleet" accused by Western officials of shipping sanctioned oil for nations like Venezuela, Russia, and Iran in defiance of U.S. restrictions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem noted the crew changed flags and repainted the hull mid-chase in a futile bid to escape accountability. The 28-member crew included Indians alongside Ukrainians, Georgians, and Russians; one Indian, a 26-year-old merchant navy officer from Himachal Pradesh on his first sea assignment, lost contact with family on interception day.
Russia's Foreign Ministry announced on January 9 that President Donald Trump approved releasing the two Russian crew members, with spokesperson Maria Zakharova expressing gratitude. Moscow had denounced the operation as a blatant violation of international maritime law, warning it would heighten military and political tensions. The ship reportedly had Russian submarine and warship escorts, though Trump told Fox News they fled swiftly upon U.S. arrival.
The releases aligned with Sergio Gor's official swearing-in as U.S. ambassador to India in New Delhi, where he affirmed strong bilateral ties rooted in shared interests and high-level relations, pledging continued trade discussions. Britain's Ministry of Defence confirmed logistical support for the U.S. action, with Defence Secretary John Healey labeling the tanker part of a Russo-Iranian sanctions-busting axis fueling terrorism, conflicts, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine.
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