Russia has deployed a submarine and other naval vessels to escort an ageing oil tanker, formerly known as Bella 1, dialling up tensions with the United States, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a US official. The move marks an unusual show of force around a vessel that has become a focal point in Washington’s crackdown on sanctioned oil shipments.

According to US officials, the empty and rusting tanker has been attempting for over two weeks to evade a US blockade targeting sanctioned oil tankers near Venezuela. The vessel failed to dock and load oil in Venezuela, but despite carrying no cargo, it continued to draw attention from US authorities as part of efforts to disrupt networks transporting illicit oil globally.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the US Coast Guard has pursued the tanker into the Atlantic Ocean, viewing it as part of a broader shadow fleet used to move black-market oil, including supplies linked to Russia. In December, the ship’s crew resisted an attempt by US authorities to board the vessel before steering it into international waters.

As the Coast Guard followed, the crew crudely painted a Russian flag on the hull, renamed the ship Marinera, and switched its registration to Russia. Experts noted that Moscow took the unusual step of allowing the tanker to register under its flag without inspection or standard formalities, reflecting Russia’s growing concern over US seizures of vessels tied to its oil trade.

Russia has formally asked the United States to stop pursuing the tanker, according to multiple US officials. The Russian Foreign Ministry said it was monitoring the situation “with concern," while state media framed the episode as US interference with a civilian vessel.

The White House declined to comment, but the US military’s Southern Command said it remains prepared to “stand against sanctioned vessels and actors transiting through this region," reinforcing Washington’s position on enforcement.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Coast Guard continues to trail the tanker, which is now sailing in the eastern Atlantic about 300 miles south of Iceland and heading toward the North Sea, based on ship-tracking data.

Russia’s state-controlled broadcaster RT released video footage allegedly filmed from the tanker’s deck showing a US Coast Guard cutter following close behind. RT claimed the US was attempting to intercept the vessel as it sailed toward Murmansk, Russia, despite what it described as the tanker’s “clear civilian status."

The standoff comes at a sensitive moment, as Washington and Moscow remain locked in diplomatic wrangling over Ukraine. Russia has yet to accept a peace framework proposed by the US and Ukraine, and the tanker confrontation risks further complicating already strained talks.

Source: News18