The operation was carried out by the U.S. Coast Guard. At the time of the seizure, Russian military ships and a submarine were nearby, but they did not intervene and merely observed the situation.
Earlier reports indicated that the United States had been attempting to intercept the tanker, which had departed from Venezuela, for over 17 days. In response to these actions, Russia dispatched its naval forces to escort the vessel.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that they are closely monitoring the developments.
So far, there have been no official comments from the Russian side regarding the legal grounds for the seizure and the future fate of the tanker.
