Russia deploys submarine to protect sanctioned oil tanker Marinera from US naval forces.

Russia deployed a submarine and additional naval assets to accompany the oil tanker Marinera after weeks of U.S. Coast Guard pursuit linked to sanctions enforcement operations.

On January 6, 2026, the Wall Street Journal announced that Russia deployed a submarine and additional naval assets to escort the oil tanker Marinera, as it had been pursued by the U.S. Coast Guard since December 2025. The escort marked an escalation in Russia’s response to both U.S. efforts to intercept vessels associated with its shadow fleet (as well as illicit oil transport networks) and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
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Beyond the Marinera case, Russia has already demonstrated on several occasions that it is prepared to use naval warships to protect or deter interference with vessels linked to its shadow fleet. (Picture source: Russian Navy)

As reported by several media, including the BBC, Russia deployed a submarine and additional naval assets to escort the sanctioned oil tanker Marinera as the U.S. Coast Guard had been trying to intercept the vessel since December 2025. The tanker, formerly known as Bella 1, became the focus of sustained U.S. pursuit after failing to load oil in Venezuela and attempting to avoid becoming the third tanker intercepted by the United States during a wider campaign targeting sanctioned ships. Although the vessel is assessed to be empty, Moscow has now moved beyond diplomatic protest against the U.S. operation in Venezuela by committing military assets to accompany the targeted ship across the North Atlantic.

Beyond the Marinera case, Russia has already demonstrated on several occasions that it is prepared to use naval warships to protect or deter interference with vessels linked to its shadow fleet. In May 2025, Russian naval units were observed escorting oil tankers through the Gulf of Finland after regional authorities increased monitoring and interception activity in that narrow sea lane following Finland’s accession to NATO. During the same period, an attempt by Estonia to stop a tanker suspected of sanctions evasion ended with Russian military assets appearing in proximity, after which the vessel was allowed to proceed toward Russian waters. In June 2025, a Russian Navy corvette escorted two sanctioned tankers through the English Channel, one of the busiest international shipping routes, marking the first publicly observed instance of a Russian surface combatant accompanying shadow fleet vessels so far from Russia’s immediate maritime approaches. In that case, the warship maintained continuous proximity throughout the transit without direct interaction with Western forces, but its presence effectively deterred any boarding attempt.

The tanker itself, which became strategically sensitive for Russia, previously operated as the Bella 1, and had been active near Venezuela for more than two weeks while the United States enforced a naval blockade against oil tankers entering or leaving the country. The ship failed to dock or load oil, yet remained under pursuit as part of a broader U.S. effort to disrupt networks that transport illicit oil shipments connected to Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. When U.S. forces attempted to board the ship in December 2025, the crew resisted, preventing control of the vessel, and the Bella 1 abruptly altered course, heading into the Atlantic. From Moscow’s perspective, the pursuit of an empty tanker highlighted that enforcement efforts were aimed at networks and precedents rather than immediate cargo.

As the tanker moved northward, its operators undertook abrupt changes that materially affected the legal environment surrounding the pursuit. The ship was renamed Marinera, a Russian flag was painted onto its hull, and its registration was transferred to Russia while already underway, after previously operating under other flags. Russia accepted the vessel into its registry without inspection or other standard formalities, asserted flag-state authority, then formally requested that the United States cease its pursuit, framing the chase as disproportionate attention directed at a civilian vessel. Moscow stated that it was monitoring the situation with concern, while U.S. military authorities reiterated publicly that they remained prepared to act against sanctioned vessels and associated actors transiting the region. This administrative move laid the groundwork for subsequent naval action by establishing a legal basis for Russian involvement.

The deployment of a submarine alongside surface assets represented a calculated escalation rather than a covert gesture. The submarine’s role was assessed as monitoring and deterrence, providing situational awareness while signaling that the tanker was no longer operating without state backing. Russian naval involvement took place as the Marinera moved through the North Atlantic, approximately 300 miles south of Iceland, moving northeast toward the North Sea and potentially onward to northern Russian ports. The U.S. Coast Guard continued to trail the tanker into the eastern Atlantic, maintaining proximity as the ship advanced. Russian state media released footage filmed from the tanker’s deck showing a Coast Guard cutter following at close distance, while also asserting that the vessel was bound for Murmansk and retained civilian status. At the same time, Russia deployed surface vessels and a submarine to escort or monitor the tanker, introducing a military element that raised the risks associated with any further attempt to board or seize the ship in international waters.

This incident aligns with a wider pattern of U.S. actions against tanker fleets used to move sanctioned oil. The United States has already apprehended two very large crude carriers, Skipper and Centuries, and officials have indicated that additional seizures may follow. These efforts are linked to the rapid expansion of a global shadow fleet after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of Western sanctions. That fleet is described as consisting of more than 1,000 tankers with opaque ownership structures, limited or no Western insurance coverage, and advanced average age, with many vessels exceeding 15 years. Commonly cited operational practices include disabling tracking systems to obscure movements and transferring cargo between ships in poorly monitored waters, practices that increase navigational and environmental risks. Therefore, the U.S. Navy's P-8A Poseidon and Irish Air Corps' Airbus C295 maritime patrol aircraft conducted several monitoring missions to maintain persistent situational awareness over the Bella 1/Marinera’s movements, especially as it altered course and reflagged to Russia.

Legal considerations remain central to the Marinera case. At the outset of the pursuit, Bella 1 was described by U.S. authorities as stateless, flying a false flag and subject to a judicial seizure order, and it had been sanctioned for allegedly transporting Iranian oil linked to organizations designated by the United States. Following its reflagging, the vessel claimed the protection afforded under international maritime law to ships legitimately registered under a national flag. This change complicated the legal basis for treating the tanker as stateless based on prior status and increased the potential consequences of a forced boarding. A seizure attempt under these conditions carried the risk of retaliation by Russia or aligned states such as Iran, which could broaden the confrontation beyond maritime enforcement.

The tanker confrontation unfolded against an already strained geopolitical backdrop. In mid-December, President Donald Trump announced a blockade on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, a policy Caracas described as theft, while U.S. authorities accused the Venezuelan government of using maritime routes for drug trafficking. The pursuit of Marinera occurred as Washington and Moscow were engaged in tense exchanges related to Ukraine, with Russia having not accepted a peace framework proposed by the United States and Ukraine. Russia also publicly condemned the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as an unlawful violation of sovereignty and demanded his release, framing the tanker escort as consistent with Russia’s opposition to U.S. pressure on its partners and their revenue streams.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.