The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a sharp statement, calling on the United States to immediately cease its "illegal actions" against the oil tanker *Marinera*, which was seized by U.S. armed forces on January 7th in international waters of the North Atlantic. Moscow also demands that the U.S. side ensure humane and dignified treatment of the Russian citizens who make up the ship's crew and that they not obstruct their swiftest possible return to their homeland.

According to Russian diplomacy, this was an "illegal use of force" that constitutes a gross violation of the fundamental principles of international maritime law and freedom of navigation. The ministry emphasized that the *Marinera* had a civilian and peaceful status, was flying the Russian flag under a temporary permit issued on December 24th in accordance with international law, and was heading to one of the Russian ports. According to Moscow, U.S. authorities were repeatedly aware of the vessel's Russian affiliation and could not have had any doubts about its status.

The Russian side also rejected Washington's arguments referring to U.S. sanctions legislation. It considers such justifications unacceptable, especially when it comes to an intervention against a ship belonging to another state in international waters. The ministry also deemed unacceptable the threats of legal prosecution against the crew members of the tanker, which, according to Moscow, the United States is formulating under "absurd pretexts."

At the same time, Russia warned that the incident could lead to a further increase in military-political tensions in the Euro-Atlantic space and to a lowering of the threshold for the use of force against civilian vessels at sea.

The United States, on the other hand, justifies the intervention by claiming it was enforcing its own sanctions. According to U.S. authorities, the tanker was involved in the transportation of oil in violation of U.S. sanctions and was allegedly part of a so-called "shadow fleet" used to circumvent restrictions imposed on certain countries. Washington claims that it acted against the ship based on a court order and that changes in the vessel's name and registration did not affect the legitimacy of the intervention.

Available information suggests that the *Marinera* was being tracked by U.S. agencies for some time, and that before the actual seizure, it managed to evade an earlier attempt to intervene in the Caribbean region. The final seizure took place in the North Atlantic with the participation of U.S. naval and air forces.

The case of the tanker *Marinera* thus raises broader questions regarding the interpretation of international maritime law, the application of national sanctions outside one's own jurisdiction, and the risk of further escalation between major powers. While Washington speaks of enforcing the law, Moscow sees the intervention as a precedent that could threaten the safety and predictability of international navigation.

gnews.cz - GH