Russia has deployed a submarine and several surface vessels to escort a tanker belonging to the so-called shadow fleet, which the United States previously sought to detain off the coast of Venezuela and continues to track in the Atlantic Ocean.
The vessel in question is the Bella 1, which for more than two weeks attempted to circumvent the US blockade of Venezuela but ultimately failed to berth for loading. In December, according to US officials, the tanker’s crew thwarted an attempted boarding, after which the ship left the area and entered the Atlantic. The tanker is now in international waters and remains under surveillance by the US Coast Guard.
Following the incident, the vessel changed its registration to Russian, was renamed Mariner, and began flying the Russian flag. According to US sources, Moscow approached Washington with a request to halt the pursuit of the tanker. On Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was following developments “with concern.”
The vessel is currently sailing roughly 300 miles south of Iceland, heading toward the North Sea. To support it, sources claim, a Russian submarine and other naval forces have been deployed.
At the same time, according to reporting by journalists, five other tankers previously operating off the coast of Venezuela and under sanctions have also switched to the Russian flag. Registration records list Sochi and Taganrog as their ports of registry.