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Moscow says it expects U.S. to release Russian crew from seized Venezuela-linked tanker

By Thomson Reuters Jan 20, 2026 | 3:13 AM

MOSCOW, Jan 20 (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ‍said on Tuesday that Moscow expects the United States to free ‌the Russian crew ‌members aboard a Venezuela-linked oil tanker seized by Washington in the ​Atlantic earlier this month.

Lavrov said ‍two ​Russians, as well ​as Ukrainians, Georgians ‍and Indians, were serving as crew members on the Marinera when ‍U.S. naval forces boarded it near Iceland on ‍January ‍7 as ​part of ​efforts ⁠to block oil ‌exports from Venezuela.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; editing by Guy ⁠Faulconbridge)