Russia has strongly condemned the seizure of its oil tanker Marinera by the US Navy in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Russian Transport Ministry said the ship, flying the Russian flag since December 24, 2025, was boarded by US forces on the high seas, outside any country's territorial waters. Moscow claims the US had no legal right to use force against a vessel legally registered under Russian jurisdiction. The ministry quoted the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, stating "freedom of navigation applies in high seas waters, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states." Meanwhile, the US European Command announced the seizure, citing a US federal court warrant for violations of US sanctions. The tanker, previously named Bella 1, had been tracked for weeks by the US Coast Guard and accused of evading a US blockade of sanctioned oil vessels near Venezuela. US officials called the operation a "whole-of-government approach" involving the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of War to protect US national security. Reports also indicate Russia has deployed naval vessels to escort the tanker amid this tense standoff between the two nations.