Three Indian nationals among crew members detained onboard Russian oil tanker seized by US
PTC News Desk: Three crew members of Indian nationality have been detained by the United States after the oil tanker Marinera was seized by the US Coast Guard in the North Atlantic on Wednesday.
The tanker — previously called Bella 1 — was sailing under the Russian flag and had been hired by a private trader. It was reportedly transporting Venezuelan crude oil to Russia when US authorities intercepted it.
When the ship was seized, it had 28 crew members onboard: three Indians, 20 Ukrainians, six Georgians, and two Russians. All of them are currently being held by US authorities while legal and diplomatic processes continue.
Father of one of the crew member Rikshit said the family last spoke to him five days ago. “We have received no official information. Neither the Indian government nor the Russian authorities have contacted us,” he said emotionally. “We are very worried about his safety.”
Meanwhile, Moscow has urged the US to respect international maritime laws. The Russian foreign ministry said it had repeatedly informed the US that Marinera (formerly Bella 1) was seized on Wednesday. It called on Washington to stop what it described as illegal actions against the tanker and other vessels operating legally in international waters.
Russia also demanded humane treatment for the crew and insisted that their rights be protected and that there be no delays in sending them home. The ministry criticised the US for using its own sanctions to justify the seizure.
Russian officials rejected US claims that the operation was part of broader efforts to control Venezuela’s natural resources, calling such statements “cynical” and “neo-colonialist.” They said US and Western sanctions were unlawful and could not justify boarding foreign ships on the high seas.
Russia said the US took control of a civilian Russian vessel without permission and argued that the incident was a serious violation of international maritime law and the principle of freedom of navigation.
- PTC NEWS
