"Fake Russian tanker": Vance explains details of Marinera's detention
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said that the Marinera oil tanker, which was detained by the U.S. military, had no real connection with Russia, but only tried to create the appearance of Russian affiliation. He said this in an interview with Fox News.
According to Vance, the vessel deliberately changed its registration and name to avoid legal consequences and sanctions from the United States. He emphasised that the tanker was actually disguised as a Russian tanker, hoping for political and legal protection.
The vessel in question is the Bella I, which last month refused permission for US services to board. At the end of December, the tanker switched to Russian registration and was renamed Marinera, which the US side believes was done deliberately.
«It was a fake Russian oil tanker», Vance said, adding that the vessel was trying to pass itself off as Russian to avoid sanctions pressure and responsibility from the United States.
At the same time, according to the American side, there was no oil on board the Marinera at the time of detention. The US believes that the tanker belongs to the so-called shadow fleet, a network of vessels used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela.
