Overview
- Surveillance aircraft from the U.S., UK, France and Ireland have been flying over the North Atlantic to monitor the Marinera, formerly the Bella 1, as it nears UK and Irish waters.
- The tanker re-registered under a Russian flag and its crew painted a Russian emblem on the hull after evading a U.S. Coast Guard attempt to intercept it in the Caribbean last month.
- U.S. military airlift and special-operations aircraft have arrived at RAF bases in England, with open-source tracking showing P-8 patrol planes, an RAF Rivet Joint, Typhoon fighters and refueling tankers operating in the area.
- Russia has lodged a formal diplomatic request for the U.S. to halt its pursuit, heightening legal and geopolitical sensitivities for European partners discussing next steps.
- Analysts and officials note that a mid‑voyage flag change could render the vessel effectively stateless under maritime law, a factor cited as Washington considers an interception similar to the December seizure of the tanker Skipper.