NYT: Russia sends naval vessel to escort tanker chased by US

Russia has sent at least one naval vessel to meet and escort an oil tanker being chased and attempting to seize by the US military. This was reported by the newspaper The New York Times citing an unnamed American official with knowledge of the matter.

Moscow's move deepens the confrontation between the two countries over the tanker, known until recently as the Bella 1 and now as the Mariner. The United States has been pursuing the tanker for several weeks after it attempted to circumvent Venezuela's partial blockade, while Russia has taken increasingly visible steps to protect it.

According to the MarineTraffic ship tracking system, the tanker is moving northeast in the Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the United Kingdom with an activated location transponder. From there, it may head to the Baltic Sea or around Scandinavia to Murmansk, Russia's Arctic port that does not freeze.

The media recalled that on December 21, 2025, the US Coast Guard stopped a tanker in the Caribbean Sea. The vessel, which started its journey from Iran, was heading to Venezuela to buy oil.

The US then said it had a warrant to arrest the vessel because it was flying an invalid national flag. But the tanker crew refused to be allowed on board and sailed out into the Atlantic. This was followed by a series of actions aimed at countering the US.

But none of these actions seem to have worked. On Tuesday, a video taken from the bridge of the tanker and published by RT propagandists showed a US Coast Guard ship following the vessel in foggy weather. The NYT was unable to determine when the video was recorded.

The tanker is part of a shadowy fleet that has been transporting oil for Russia, Iran, and Venezuela in violation of sanctions imposed by the United States and other countries.

The tankers are likely to become an increasingly sensitive issue in relations between the United States and Russia amid tensions caused by the US attack on Venezuela, a longtime ally of Moscow.

According to Russia's official registry, at least three oil tankers that have been operating in Venezuelan waters in recent weeks have also switched to Russian flags within days. Earlier this week, one of these three tankers disappeared from Venezuelan waters despite a blockade of ships under US sanctions.

• On December 31, it was reported that oil tanker crew Bella 1, which is being pursued by the US Coast Guard, drew a Russian flag, apparently trying to signal protection from the Russian Federation.
• On January 1, 2026, it became known that the tanker was officially renamed and entered into the official Russian database.
• On January 2, the NYT wrote that the Russian government has sent the U.S an official diplomatic request to stop the harassment of the oil tanker.