Russia sends sub to guard tanker pursued by US
Russia has deployed a submarine and other naval vessels to escort an aging oil tanker that US forces have been trying to seize off the coast of Venezuela.The ship, formerly known as Bella 1 and now sailing under a new name, has been tracked for weeks over alleged involvement in sanctions busting and black market oil shipments. According to US officials cited in media reports, the tanker had attempted to approach Venezuela to load oil but was blocked and later pursued in international waters.Washington considers the vessel stateless and subject to boarding because it has sailed under questionable flags while linked to networks moving sanctioned Russian and Venezuelan crude. Moscow’s decision to send a submarine and additional naval assets marks a sharp escalation in the standoff and signals its readiness to physically shield the tanker from US interdiction.Analysts say the […]