The Russian government has disclosed that the United States has agreed to release two Russian crew members from the Russian‑flagged oil tanker Marinera, which was seized earlier this week by U.S. forces.
U.S. authorities said the tanker was part of a “shadow fleet” allegedly transporting oil in violation of U.S. sanctions, prompting a military‑led operation to detain the vessel and its crew in international waters.
The decision to free the two Russians was made on Friday, following a request from Moscow to Washington and approval by President Donald Trump, Russian officials said.
The tanker was seized on Wednesday in the North Atlantic Ocean after U.S. special operations forces and the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the vessel during a pursuit across international waters.
“In response to our request, U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to release two Russian citizens aboard the Marinera,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement, adding that Moscow was grateful to the U.S. leadership.
Russian special envoy Kirill Dmitriev later said Trump had decided to free “all Russians” on board the tanker, though details about the other crew members remain unclear.
The United States had previously indicated that the tanker’s crew could face prosecution, a move Moscow called “categorically unacceptable” and warned could heighten military and political tensions.
