In recent days, the world has seen images and videos of the tanker Marinera being escorted and ultimately seized by the US in the North Atlantic, sparking intense diplomatic tensions. But the story behind its name and flag is not what many have reported… 👇
🧭 It’s not originally Russian 🇷🇺
🔴 The tanker now called Marinera was not originally a Russian ship.
Originally, it was named Bella 1 and belonged to the so-called “shadow fleet”, a group of old tankers often used to bypass international sanctions and engage in opaque trade.
➡️ Over the past few years, Bella 1 repeatedly ended up under US sanctions for transporting Iranian and Venezuelan oil, violating US restrictions.
🚩 How it became Marinera and why people say it’s “Russian”
🔸 The ship originally sailed under the flag of Guyana, but when the US started pursuing it for sanctions violations in the Caribbean, the crew renamed it “Marinera” and painted a Russian flag on the hull, seeking legal protection.
🔸 According to official sources, Marinera later obtained temporary permission to sail under the Russian flag — granted by Russian authorities — while still at sea.
👉 In short: the ship was not built in Russia, does not belong to a Russian state-owned company, and was not operating as a standard Russian tanker, but used Russian registration in the middle of the Atlantic while trying to escape US authorities.
👩✈️ And the crew?
The US Navy confirmed that most of the crew is not Russian: the majority are Ukrainian and Georgian citizens, with only a few Russian members, according to open sources.
🌐 Why the US seized it
US authorities claim that Marinera (formerly Bella 1) was part of a network of sanctioned ships transporting oil in violation of sanctions against Venezuela and Iran, including alleged connections with Hezbollah and Houthi-linked financial facilitators.
For Washington, this was a case of enforcing sanctions laws to prevent illicit shipments and fund networks considered dangerous.
❗ So… is this really a provocation against Russia?
The answer: not exactly as many initially thought 🧠. ✋
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Marinera was not originally Russian and was not part of a Russian state commercial fleet.
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Its adoption of a Russian flag while at sea was a sanctions-evasion tactic, not a direct action by the Russian state.
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This explains why the US could legally justify the intervention, while Moscow still protested to protect any Russian citizens on board and legitimize the temporary Russian registration.
In other words, while the ship flew a Russian flag, it was not an “official Russian state tanker” in the traditional sense.
🔥 Conclusion (short & clear)
🌍 Marinera is not actually Russian, contrary to early reports.
💡 It was Bella 1, a sanctioned tanker linked to illicit oil trade.
🚩 While being pursued by the US, it changed its name and flag, but the Russian flag was adopted as a temporary measure to evade capture, not because it belonged to Moscow.
This explains why Washington could enforce the seizure and why the story is much more complex than it first appeared.
📌 Read also our previous articles on “Marinera”
🔹 “USA vs Russia: Rising Tensions at Sea”
The first clashes in the Atlantic that sparked global concern over the Marinera’s pursuit. 🌊⚓
🔹 “Armed Escort for the ‘Marinera’: Who’s on Board?”
Exclusive video and report on the US Coast Guard and Special Forces surrounding the tanker. 🎥👀