Diplomatic tensions between Russia and the US are heating up every hour around the fate of the oil tanker Marinera. The Russian Consulate General in Edinburgh (Scotland) has sent a tough message, pledging not to abandon its citizens.
On January 26, in an official statement on Telegram channel, this diplomatic agency emphasized that protecting the rights of Russian citizens is the most important task. They are urgently implementing legal procedures to request consular access, grasp information about the detention place as well as the health status of the sailors, with the ultimate goal of bringing them back to the country safely as soon as possible.
The Russian side also expressed outrage at the disruptive information from Western media. The Scottish Sun newspaper published an article accusing a Russian diplomat of having ambiguous behavior, like a spy when appearing near the anchorage area.
Refuting, the Russian Consulate General said that the trip to Burghead town on January 20 was a completely transparent public service activity. They had informed the press in advance, the only purpose was to find a way to approach the ship anchored off the coast of Scotland for more than a week to support citizens, not reconnaissance activities.
The incident originated on January 7, when the Russian Ministry of Transport accused US special forces of unreasonably landing and arresting the Marinera ship in international waters. Russia affirmed that this action seriously violated the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, because the Marinera ship was legally licensed to fly the Russian flag from December 24, 2025.
However, the US side has a completely different view. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the Marinera ship of actually belonging to Venezuela's "dark fleet", saying that this ship was transporting smuggled oil to evade sanctions.
The personnel situation on the ship is still very chaotic. Although Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova previously announced that President Donald Trump had agreed to release 2 Russian sailors after receiving a request from Russia, the reality is not like that.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov confirmed that as of January 24, these 2 citizens have not been released, making Russia's rescue efforts even more urgent.
The ship is currently anchored in the Sea of Moray Firth, northeastern Scotland, to replenish food and fuel, while the fate of the sailors remains a big question mark between the political table of the two powers.
