‘UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of successful US interception of vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia,’ Defence Secretary says
By Ilayda Cakirtekin
ISTANBUL (AA) – UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed on Wednesday that the British military supported the US operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic.
“Today our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia,” Healey said in a statement seen by BBC.
He noted that the action formed part of “global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting.”
“This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine,” Healey stressed.
He further reaffirmed that they will continue to step up their action shadow fleet activity to protect national security, the economy, and global stability.
US forces announced Wednesday the seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera, previously known as M/V Bella 1, in the North Atlantic Ocean for “violations of U.S. sanctions.”
Russia called on the US to guarantee the safety and immediate return of its citizens after US naval forces boarded the Russian-flagged tanker on Wednesday.
“Russia demands that the US ensure humane and dignified treatment of Russian citizens on the ship Marinera, and respect their rights and interests,” the ministry told the state news agency Tass.
According to Russia’s Transport Ministry, communication with the vessel was lost around 3 pm local time (12:00GMT) when US naval forces boarded the ship in “the open sea outside the territorial waters of any states.”
The ministry asserted that the Marinera had received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian state flag on December 24, 2025, in compliance with national and international law.
Officials in Moscow condemned the boarding as a violation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, arguing that a “regime of freedom of navigation operates” in open waters and that “no state has the right to use force against ships properly registered in the jurisdictions of other states.”
The statement follows confirmation from US officials that the vessel, previously known as the M/V Bella 1, was seized for alleged violations of sanctions targeting Venezuelan oil.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth previously stated that the blockade of “sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in full effect,” while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described the ship’s recent change of flag as a “desperate and failed attempt” to evade detection.
The interception of the tanker occurs amid heightened tensions following a recent US military intervention in Caracas and the capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.