Russia sends navy to guard oil tanker being pursued by US in North Atlantic after fleeing Venezuela for Russia!

Date: January 7, 2026

Source: Daily Mail

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US and Russian Navy about to cross paths over the Bella-1 tanker

Russia has dispatched navy assets to protect a sanctioned oil tanker as it crosses the Atlantic, amid mounting threats from the US to seize the vessel.

The move comes after US forces were said to be preparing to board the ship, which has a long history of transporting Venezuelan crude oil and was last believed to be sailing between Scotland and Iceland.

According to CBS News, Russia has now stepped in to escort the tanker in a development that raises the prospect of a dramatic showdown between the superpowers on the high seas.

By sending navy ships into the North Atlantic, Vladimir Putin is signalling to Donald Trump that he can't act without consequences, following the US president's threat to use the military to seize Greenland. 

The vessel, which is currently empty, had previously operated under the name Bella 1. Last month, the US Coast Guard attempted to board it in the Caribbean, armed with a warrant to seize the ship over alleged breaches of US sanctions and claims it had shipped Iranian oil.

However, the tanker then abruptly changed course, renamed itself Marinera and reportedly reflagged from Guyana to Russia.

Donald Trump last month said he had ordered a 'blockade' of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela, a policy the government in Caracas branded 'theft'.

In the run-up to the US seizure of the country's former leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, Trump repeatedly accused Venezuela's government of using ships to smuggle drugs into the US.

Two US officials told CBS News on Tuesday that American forces were planning to board the Marinera and that Washington would prefer to seize the vessel rather than sink it.

Moscow's Foreign Ministry says it expects Western countries to respect principles of freedom of navigation. 

Footage posted by Russian television network RT purports to show a US Coast Guard cutter chasing the Russian-flagged oil tanker

Russia has dispatched navy assets to protect a sanctioned oil tanker as it crosses the Atlantic, amid mounting threats from the US to seize the vessel

The US military's Southern Command reinforced that message in a social media post, saying it 'remains ready to support our US government agency partners in standing against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region.

'Our sea services are vigilant, agile, and postured to track vessels of interest. When the call comes, we will be there.'

At one point while being pursued, the crew of the vessel painted a Russian flag on its hull, claiming it was sailing under Russian protection. 

Footage posted by Russian television network RT purports to show a US Coast Guard cutter chasing the Russian-flagged ship, which started its journey in Iran.

The tanker's north Atlantic position, combined with rough weather and long distances from land, is thought to be making any boarding operation difficult. 

AIS tracking data, which can be spoofed or falsified, suggested the ship was around 2,000km (1,200 miles) west of continental Europe on Tuesday.

It could be heading to the Baltic Sea or around Scandinavia to Murmansk, Russia’s ice-free Arctic port. 

Its approach towards Europe has also coincided with the arrival of around 10 US military transport aircraft and helicopters.

Russia said it was 'monitoring with concern' the situation surrounding the ship and accused the US and Nato of excessive scrutiny.

'At present, our vessel is 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,' Russia's foreign ministry said.

'For reasons unclear to us, the Russian ship is being given increased and clearly disproportionate attention by the US and Nato military, despite its peaceful status.

'We expect that Western countries, which declare their commitment to freedom of navigation on the high seas, will begin adhering to this principle themselves.'

Under international law, ships are protected by the country whose flag they fly. But maritime experts say the tanker's rebranding is unlikely to deter US action.

Dimitris Ampatzidis, senior risk and compliance analyst at maritime intelligence firm Kpler, told BBC Verify that changing the ship's name and flag may count for little.

'US action is driven by the vessel's underlying identity [IMO number], ownership/control networks, and sanctions history, not by its painted markings or flag claim,' he said.

Ampatzidis added that switching to the Russian registry could spark 'diplomatic friction' but would not necessarily prevent US enforcement.

Before any US military operation launched from the UK, Washington would be expected to inform its ally. For now, the UK Ministry of Defence has declined to comment, saying it will not discuss the military activities of other nations.

In what could be a diplomatic nightmare for Keir Starmer, it is believed American troops would use the UK as their launchpad for the assault. 

Over the weekend, ten C-17 Globemasters and a pair of AC-130J Ghostriders landed at two RAF bases, RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, signalling a possible indication of further action.

The planes have come from Fort Campbell, Kentucky and Hunter, Georgia - airfields home to the 160th SOAR or Night Stalkers who carried out the attack on Caracas.

The C-17 Globemaster is a large military transport aircraft, often deployed in tactical and strategic missions as well as for transporting soldiers and cargo. 

The AC-130J Ghostrider offers close air support, air interdiction and armed reconnaissance. 

US military aircraft flying from RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk are monitoring the ship, according to flight tracking data.

Also aiding the search are RAF Typhoon fighter jets, accompanied by KC2 aerial refuelling tankers.

By claiming Russian status, the legalities of confronting the tanker could become more complicated.

Moscow also made a formal diplomatic request that the US stop its chase of the tanker on New Year's Eve. 

In the same week that the Bella 1 changed its name and adopted a Russian flag, a second ship operating in Venezuela, the Hyperion, made a similar change.

In recent days, at least three additional oil vessels that operated in Venezuelan waters have similarly switched to Russian flags, extending a pattern of reflagging among ships under US sanctions.