- Category
- World
US Sells Two Seized Russian-Linked Oil Tankers for Scrap in India
Prefer U24 Media on Google
- Authors
![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The US government has sold two sanctioned oil tankers seized earlier this year for scrapping in India, Lloyd’s List reported, according to Reuters on August 11.
Dubai-based ship recycling firm Global Marketing Systems (GMS) acquired the vessels last month in a deal whose value was not disclosed.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
The tankers, the Era—formerly Marinera and Bella 1—and the Lileo, previously known as Galileo and Veronica, are set to be dismantled at shipbreaking yards in India.
“The US government has sold them to us and there was a court order authorizing the sales, but there are complexities, not least the fact that we weren’t really sure who previously owned them,” GMS CEO Anil Sharma told Lloyd’s List.
According to Reuters, the Russian-flagged Era was seized by the US Coast Guard and military special forces in January after a weeks-long pursuit across the Atlantic, with the operation taking place south of Iceland. The tanker had previously evaded a US blockade in the Caribbean intended to curb Venezuelan oil exports.
The United States also seized the Russian-flagged tanker now operating as Lileo in the Caribbean Sea in January. The vessel had been targeted by US sanctions over its links to Russia.
In total, the US seized up to 10 oil tankers following its military operation in Venezuela, while sanctioned vessels often change their names to avoid detection and sanctions enforcement, as reported by Reuters.
The development comes as Russian leader Vladimir Putin instructed the country’s Navy leadership to respond “decisively” to Western attempts to seize Russian oil and gas tankers, comparing such actions to maritime piracy.
During a meeting with commanders of Russia’s Pacific, Northern, Baltic, and Black Sea fleets, as well as the Caspian Flotilla, Putin called on military officials to protect Russian maritime operations from attempts to intercept its vessels.
Discuss this article:
-457ad7ae19a951ebdca94e9b6bf6309d.png)
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
