United States forces boarded and seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday following a weeks-long chase on the high seas which has escalated tensions with Moscow and piled further pressure on its ally Venezuela. This photo posted by US European Command on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, shows the oil tanker Bella 1. Ahead of the vessel’s seizure, the Russian military had started to move around naval assets and a submarine to protect the ship, according to a US official. This photo posted by US European Command on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, shows the oil tanker Bella 1. In a separate operation Wednesday, the US said it seized an oil tanker called Sophia, in international waters near the Caribbean.

Source: Egypt Independent January 08, 2026 13:25 UTC