LONDON, January 21. /TASS/. The Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh is monitoring the situation with Russian nationals on the tanker Marinera, which is anchored in the north of Scotland. This was stated in a message from the diplomatic mission.
“The Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh is closely monitoring the situation with Russian citizens still on board the tanker Mariner. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted in a press conference, we hope the American side will fulfill its promise to release our compatriots,” it said.
The Russian Embassy in the UK added that, on January 20, “The Russian Consul General in Edinburgh visited the town of Burghead in northern Scotland, overlooking the Marinera oil tanker anchored near the shore, which was previously seized by the US armed forces on January 7.” “According to currently available information, two Russian citizens continue to be on the ship,” the diplomatic agency said.
On January 13, BBC quoted a British government spokesman as saying that the tanker Marinera, also known as Bella 1, entered Moray Firth in northeastern Scotland to replenish food supplies. The BBC emphasized that the tanker should then continue its journey. The Mariners' final destination was not specified.
Arresting “sailors”
The Russian Ministry of Transport previously reported that at around 3:00 p.m. on January 7, Moscow time, American soldiers boarded the Marinera ship at sea. The Ministry emphasized that according to the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, there is a regime of freedom of navigation on the high seas and no country has the right to use force against ships legally registered in another country's jurisdiction. On December 24, 2025, the ship Marinera received a temporary license to fly the Russian state flag, issued on the basis of Russian and international law.
On January 7, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said during a regular briefing with journalists that US authorities may return the crew of the tanker Mariner to the US for trial for possible violations of federal law. The White House claims the tanker Marinera is part of Venezuela's so-called shadow fleet and is illegally transporting oil in violation of US sanctions.
On January 9, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reported that US President Donald Trump, in response to the call of the Russian Federation, decided to release two Russians from the crew of the Mariner oil tanker. On Tuesday, Russia's Foreign Minister said Russia hopes the US promise to release two Russian sailors from the detained oil tanker Marinera will be fulfilled.
