Russia Deploys Naval Vessels

(MENAFN) Russia has dispatched warships into the North Atlantic as tensions escalate over an oil tanker targeted by Washington, with U.S. officials signaling preparations to capture the vessel, according to a report.

A news agency reported Tuesday that the tanker, now operating under the name Marinera after reflagging to Russia, was believed to be located between Scotland and Iceland, though tracking information can be unreliable.

President Donald Trump stated last month that he ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned tankers linked to Venezuela, a move Caracas condemned as “theft,” amid broader allegations by Trump that Venezuelan shipping has been used for narcotics trafficking.

Two U.S. officials told the news agency that American forces would prefer to board the vessel rather than destroy it. U.S. Southern Command said it “remains ready to support our U.S. government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry declared that the ship was “sailing in the international waters of the North Atlantic under the state flag of the Russian Federation and in full compliance with the norms of international maritime law,” cautioning that it was receiving “clearly disproportionate attention.”

Maritime expert Dimitris Ampatzidis of Kpler told a news outlet that enforcement depends on a vessel’s identity and sanctions record rather than its flag, noting that reflagging could spark "diplomatic friction" without preventing U.S. action.

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