On Friday, Russia announced that the US will release two Russian crew members from the Marinera oil tanker seized by US forces in the North Atlantic two days earlier. "In response to our request, US President Donald Trump has decided to release two Russian citizens aboard the Marinera tanker, previously detained by the United States during an operation in the North Atlantic," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She added, "We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the US leadership." This followed Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev’s message on Telegram stating that Trump had decided to release "all Russians" on board. The US seized the tanker on Wednesday, saying it was part of a "shadow fleet" transporting oil for countries including Venezuela, Russia, and Iran, violating US sanctions. The ship was boarded despite being escorted by the Russian navy. The US had warned that the tanker crew could face prosecution, which Russia called "categorically unacceptable." Moscow described the seizure as "illegal" and accused Washington of raising tensions and threatening international shipping. The move stirred warnings of increased military and political strain. (With AFP inputs)