On February 1, sharing with TASS news agency when he just arrived in the city of Kerch (Crimea), sailor Maksim Karpenko confirmed that he and his colleague have been released. Currently, the health of both is stable. The remaining colleague has also returned to his hometown in Astrakhan to reunite with his family.
Karpenko said that during the 19 days of detention, they completely lost contact with their relatives. Immediately after the US and British military forces took over the ship, all phones and communication equipment of the crew were confiscated for investigation.
The families of the sailors did not receive any direct information from relatives. They only knew about the arrest situation and the fate of their children through news reports in the mass media.
This controversial incident began on January 7, when US law enforcement began landing and controlling the oil tanker Marinera in international waters. Washington accused the ship of violating US economic sanctions.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt once declared that the Marinera belonged to Venezuela's "dark fleet" and was illegally transporting oil. The US government even considered the option of bringing the entire crew back to the US for federal trial.
However, Moscow reacted strongly to this action. The Russian Ministry of Transport affirmed that the Marinera ship has been legally licensed to fly the Russian flag temporarily from December 24, 2025, in compliance with international regulations.
The Russian side cited the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to protect citizens. Moscow emphasized that no country has the right to use force or interfere with ships of another country operating normally in international waters.
After tense diplomatic efforts, the two sailors were released instead of being brought to trial. On his return, Karpenko thanked the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Crimean regional leader - Mr. Sergey Aksyonov - for their timely support in bringing them back home.
