Three Indian nationals are among the crew of the Russian oil tanker Marinera, which was seized by the United States in the North Atlantic, according to Russian officials and local media reports.
Three Indian nationals are among the crew of the Russian oil tanker Marinera which was seized by the United States in the North Atlantic on Wednesday, according to local media reports. On Thursday, Moscow called on Washington to adhere to international maritime law and strongly criticised what it described as “neo-colonialist” behaviour.
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that information about the tanker, formerly named Bella 1, had been repeatedly communicated to the US prior to the seizure. According to Russia Today, the Marinera’s crew includes 17 Ukrainians, six Georgians, three Indians, and two Russians.
In a statement, the ministry demanded that the US “resume compliance with the fundamental norms of international maritime navigation and immediately halt its illegal actions against the Marinera and other law-abiding vessels operating on the high seas.” Moscow rejected US claims that its national sanctions legislation justified the seizure, calling them “unfounded.”
The ministry also condemned statements by US officials suggesting the seizure was part of a broader effort to assert control over Venezuela’s natural resources, calling such claims “extremely cynical” and rejecting what it termed Washington’s “neo-colonialist tendencies.” It further asserted that unilateral restrictions imposed by the US and other Western nations are illegitimate and cannot justify the exercise of jurisdiction or the capture of ships on international waters.
Highlighting concerns for the crew’s safety, the Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that the US ensure humane and dignified treatment of its nationals aboard the tanker, protect their rights, and allow their swift return home. Moscow also expressed serious apprehension regarding the potential use of military force against the vessel, adding that full details had been communicated to Washington.
“The Marinera, which on December 24 received temporary permission to sail under the Russian flag in accordance with the international law and Russian legislation, was peacefully transiting international waters in the North Atlantic, heading for one of Russia’s ports,” the foreign ministry said.
The US government had been repeatedly provided with reliable information, including from the Russian Foreign Ministry, about the ship’s Russian origin and its civilian status, it asserted.
“Russia did not give consent to these actions. On the contrary, it lodged an official protest with the US government regarding the pursuit of the Marinera by a US Coast Guard vessel over the past several weeks, insisting on the immediate cessation of these activities and the withdrawal of the unlawful demands made on the Russian ship’s captain,” the ministry said.
Under these circumstances, US military personnel boarding a civilian vessel on the high seas and effectively seizing it, as well as capturing its crew, “can only be viewed as a gross violation of the basic principles and norms of international maritime law and freedom of navigation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
With inputs from agencies
End of Article
