'Irregular' armed guards aboard Russian shadow tankers alarm Nordic-Baltic governments

The seizure of a Russian-linked lipid tanker successful nan North Atlantic has highlighted "worry" among NATO and Nordic-Baltic governments complete acheronian fleet vessels and nan type of crews onboard, according to a maritime intelligence analyst.

U.S. subject and Coast Guard personnel boarded nan Marinera betwixt Iceland and nan U.K. Wednesday arsenic it operated nether deceptive shipping practices, including flying a mendacious emblem and violating sanctions.

And according to Reuters, Russian authorities demanded nan humane curen and repatriation of nan unit members.

Windward maritime intelligence expert Michelle Wiese Bockmann claimed nan Marinera’s ownership had conscionable been transferred to Burevestmarin LLC, a Russian company.

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U.S. forces seized nan Russian-flagged Marinera lipid tanker successful nan North Atlantic Sea, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, according to nan U.S. military. (US European Command)

"We do not cognize nan position of these sailors and seafarers, who are Russian nationals," Wiese Bockmann told Fox News Digital. 

"That deficiency of clarity is communal pinch acheronian fleet tankers," she added.

"The Marinera did person its ownership transferred to a recently formed Russian company, pinch nan registered owner, vessel head and commercialized head being Burevestmarin LLC," Wiese Bockmann clarified.

She besides suggested NATO and nan Nordic-Baltic 8+ group of governments person been "worried" astir sanctioned lipid tankers pinch unauthorized unit onboard, including "armed guards."

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U.S. forces seized nan Russian-flagged Marinera lipid tanker successful nan North Atlantic Sea, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, according to nan U.S. military. (US European Command)

"Increasingly, and I cognize nan Nordic Baltic 8+ governments are worried astir nan truth that you are having unauthorized group besides connected board, besides known arsenic equipped guards," Wiese Bockmann said. "But it is highly irregular."

"Armed guards are seldom seen and typically utilized connected ships that are transiting nan Gulf of aden aliases nan Red Sea and are truthful assessed arsenic astatine consequence from onslaught by houthis aliases pirates," she added.

Following nan seizure, White House property caput Karoline Leavitt rejected Russian demands for typical curen of nan Marinera’s unit during her regular briefing Wednesday.

"This was a Venezuelan protector fleet alloy that had transported sanctioned oil," Leavitt said.

"The alloy was deemed stateless aft flying a mendacious flag, and it had a judicial seizure order, and that’s why nan unit will beryllium taxable to prosecution."

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was "closely following" nan situation, according to nan state-run TASS news agency.

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A crude lipid tanker waits its move to beryllium loaded pinch crude lipid astatine Lake Maracaibo successful Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela connected May 9, 2025.  (Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images)

Wiese Bockmann noted that acheronian fleet crews are often multinational, typically involving a Russian maestro pinch Chinese, Indian aliases Filipino unit members.

"There is simply a blurring of commercialized and subject shipping astir nan acheronian fleet," she said. "What we’re seeing now is thing that has really only emerged successful nan past six aliases 7 months."

European authorities person besides begun holding crews accountable, peculiarly erstwhile captains are "facilitating vulnerable deceptive shipping practices, specified arsenic spoofing and going dark," she explained.

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"The EU precocious sanctioned nan skipper of a tanker who refused orders from nan Estonian navy (Jaguar) to beryllium stopped for inspection past May, and nan French charged a skipper complete his refusal to comply pinch orders and nonaccomplishment to warrant a flag’s nationality aft authorities intercepted a acheronian fleet tanker successful nan Atlantic past October," Wiese Bockmann added.

As antecedently reported by Fox News Digital, a 2nd vessel, nan M. Sophia, was besides boarded successful world waters adjacent nan Caribbean while en way to Venezuela.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to nan White House for comment.