Russia Sends Submarine to Escort Oil Tanker as Tensions Rise with US Over 'Shadow Fleet'
In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Russia has dispatched a submarine and other naval vessels to escort an oil tanker, believed to be heading for Murmansk in northern Russia. The vessel, known as the Marinera or Bella 1, has been pursued by the US across the Atlantic after attempting to evade a blockade on sanctions-hit oil tankers operating near Venezuela.
The ship, which was previously bound for Venezuela to pick up oil, underwent a dramatic turnaround in early December, changing course and heading into European waters. The tanker's crew repelled an attempted US boarding near Venezuelan waters before abruptly altering its route.
Russia has since lodged a formal diplomatic protest demanding that Washington halt its pursuit of the vessel. The ship was reflagged under the Russian banner, with its crew hastily painting a flag on the hull.
The Marinera has been under US sanctions since July 2024, accused by American authorities of being involved in carrying illicit cargo for a company owned by Hezbollah. Russia's state-run outlet RT posted a video said to be filmed from the deck of the oil tanker, showing a US Coast Guard vessel trailing it.
As tensions rise, Russia is taking drastic measures to protect its interests. The country's foreign ministry said it was monitoring the situation with "concern", while the US military's Southern Command stated that American naval forces were closely monitoring ships of interest in the region.
The latest standoff comes amid faltering US efforts to pressure Moscow to end its war in Ukraine. The US president, Donald Trump, expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin over Russia's continued fighting, calling him "killing too many people".
Russia's actions are a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations, highlighting the growing influence of shadowy networks and shell companies linked to Moscow.
In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Russia has dispatched a submarine and other naval vessels to escort an oil tanker, believed to be heading for Murmansk in northern Russia. The vessel, known as the Marinera or Bella 1, has been pursued by the US across the Atlantic after attempting to evade a blockade on sanctions-hit oil tankers operating near Venezuela.
The ship, which was previously bound for Venezuela to pick up oil, underwent a dramatic turnaround in early December, changing course and heading into European waters. The tanker's crew repelled an attempted US boarding near Venezuelan waters before abruptly altering its route.
Russia has since lodged a formal diplomatic protest demanding that Washington halt its pursuit of the vessel. The ship was reflagged under the Russian banner, with its crew hastily painting a flag on the hull.
The Marinera has been under US sanctions since July 2024, accused by American authorities of being involved in carrying illicit cargo for a company owned by Hezbollah. Russia's state-run outlet RT posted a video said to be filmed from the deck of the oil tanker, showing a US Coast Guard vessel trailing it.
As tensions rise, Russia is taking drastic measures to protect its interests. The country's foreign ministry said it was monitoring the situation with "concern", while the US military's Southern Command stated that American naval forces were closely monitoring ships of interest in the region.
The latest standoff comes amid faltering US efforts to pressure Moscow to end its war in Ukraine. The US president, Donald Trump, expressed frustration with Vladimir Putin over Russia's continued fighting, calling him "killing too many people".
Russia's actions are a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations, highlighting the growing influence of shadowy networks and shell companies linked to Moscow.
Russia is like, for real, deploying a submarine to escort an oil tanker and it's all because they think the US is trying to block their shipment 
I mean, what's the big deal? It's just oil 
The US is getting all worked up over some shipping container and it's like, chill out 
Russia's just trying to protect its interests and keep the cash flowing 
And btw, the whole Hezbollah thing is like, totally shady 
I don't know if I believe the whole US angle on this one... seems like a case of "we're gonna catch us some Russian oil" 
Anyone else think this situation is getting outta hand? 
#RussiaVsUS #OilTanker #ShadowFleet
I'm not surprised they're doing this, it's like they want us to come after them or something. Russia's always been super aggressive when it comes to defending its interests, now they're just taking it to the next level with a submarine escort 
. It's like they're begging for a confrontation or something.
that submarine escorting the oil tanker? ain't nobody gonna mess with russia's interests 
it's all about power and control, folks. we can't even agree on how to engage with them without turning into the enemy 
let's not forget we have our own shadow fleet operating in the world 
like what if Russia blocks the tanker or something? that would be HUGE 
... i mean, we know there's a shadow fleet out there, but how much control do they actually have over these ships? 
it's like, we're supposed to be living in a post-Cold War era, but this just shows us how far back we still are 
... I'm all for Russia pushing back, but at the same time, we gotta think about what this means for global stability 
... russia is just trying to protect its own interests & it's not like they're doing anything crazy or violating any major international laws... meanwhile, what's with this "shadow fleet" business? sounds like a lot of drama & overblown accusations... and let's be real, the us has been accused of similar things in the past 
I'm shocked that Russia is using its navy to protect an oil tanker carrying goods for Hezbollah - what's really going on here? 
This development highlights the precarious nature of international relations when rogue actors attempt to exploit loopholes in sanctions regimes 
The fact that Russia has dispatched a submarine to escort an oil tanker underscores the country's willingness to take bold action to protect its interests, even if it means pushing the boundaries of diplomatic norms 
especially the crew of that oil tanker, it sounds like they're going through so much already 
. It's not easy being in the middle of a global standoff between two major powers 
And what about those sanctions? Are they really going to stand for this? It feels like both sides are playing chicken, but with nuclear options 
. The fact that the crew had to repel an attempted boarding by American authorities is pretty alarming too 
.
Russia is not messing around, sending their submarine to escort that oil tanker, it's like they're saying "hands off" 
. The fact that they repelled the US boarding is so cool 
Russia's being super defensive about it, but are they just trying to cover up something shady? 
. This whole thing is giving me major anxiety 
but one thing for sure, it's gonna get ugly 
and now they're deploying a submarine to escort it? 
Like, that's some serious naval power right there!