Three Indians onboard the Russian-flagged oil tanker seized by US military: Report

The United States military on Wednesday, January 7, seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic which had as many as 28 crew members, including three Indians, onboard. The oil tanker was being traced from the Caribbean Sea, said the Russian Transport Ministry. The crew also had six people from Georgia, 17 from Ukraine, three of India, and two from Russia.

US officials say the tanker is part of a so-called shadow fleet that carries oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions, AFP reported them as saying.

It also said that the contact was lost with the tanker when the US military personnel stormed the oil tanker and seized it. The vessel was operating under the flag of Guyana and was intercepted over an alleged violation of US sanctions.

The tanker was reportedly heading to Venezuela. A US Coast Guard cutter escorted the vessel to a US port after authorities said Guyana did not confirm that the ship was allowed to sail under its flag.

The Russian ministry said the military personnel boarded the vessel “on the high seas outside the territorial waters of any state.”

It was later followed by the US warship and NATO countries' aircrafts when the vessel did not follow the US Coast Guard. It also changed course and entered the Atlantic Ocean.

In a Telegram statement, Russia's Ministry of Transport said the tanker Marinera received a temporary permit to fly the Russian Federation flag on December 24, 2025, in accordance with Russian and international law.

The vessel had “turned off its transponders while at sea and sought to reflag while being pursued, indicating its nefarious links to global sanctions evasion,” Britain, which assisted the US in the seizure of the tanker, said in a statement.

Recent assessments showed the tanker has been involved in illegal activity, “linked to international terrorism and crime including Hezbollah,” the Iranian-backed Lebanese force, the ministry said.

“The Russian flagging of the vessel shows their role in this interconnected shadow activity we are seeing across the world, which threatens our national security, harms our economy and undermines global security,” it added.

According to a statement cited by TASS, the Russian Foreign Ministry said it is closely monitoring reports that the US military has boarded the tanker Mariner, originally Bella 1, on the high seas, noting that Russian citizens are among the crew.

(With agency inputs)