Two oil tankers under US sanctions are sailing east through the English Channel, heading for Russia, according to maritime traffic monitoring sites, The Guardian reports.
The ships Aria and Tia, registered over time under several names and flags, were spotted in southern Britain on Thursday, just a day after the US seized the Russian oil tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic.
John Healey, the defense secretary, told MPs on Wednesday that the seizure of the Marinera was legitimate not only because it was sailing under the flag, but also because it belonged to Russia's shadow fleet that carries illicit oil at sea “to finance the illegal invasion of Ukraine”.
Asked on Thursday whether it was aware of the presence of the sanctioned vessels in question, the British Ministry of Defense said it would not discuss any plans to seize the vessels, nor “will not provide commentary on live information from marine traffic monitoring sites”.
A spokesman came with the following clarifications: “The defense secretary stressed in parliament that deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this government.”
The Tia, re-registered as “Tiavan”, has left Turkey and is heading to a port in the Gulf of Finland, Russia, where it is expected to arrive on January 13, according to Lloyd's List. Since 2024 Tia has been under US sanctions for transporting crude oil from Venezuela, but has since changed its name twice, to “Arcusat” and finally to “Tiavan”.
The Barbados-flagged vessel Aria was spotted sailing between Plymouth and Jersey on Thursday evening, bound for the commercial port of Ust-Luga in the eastern Baltic Sea. It is on the list of oil tankers subject to sanctions by the US Treasury, with the indication that it is linked to Russia's largest shipping company.
US forces seized the Marinera tanker, formerly Bella 1, northwest of the British Isles on Wednesday in an operation with support from the British Royal Navy and air force, following a two-and-a-half-week manhunt since the ship left the Caribbean for Venezuela.
The crew, who initially refused to give the US Coast Guard permission to board near the South American country, changed course north into the Atlantic and tried to avoid seizure by flying the Russian flag.
Russia protested the seizure, denouncing an act of piracy and demanding the release and release of its sailors.
