alt.hn

1/1/2026 at 9:51:46 PM

Russia Asks United States to Stop Pursuit of Fleeing Oil Tanker

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/us/politics/russia-oil-tanker-venezuela-us-pursuit.html

by JumpCrisscross

1/1/2026 at 10:08:48 PM

Either hardliner oligarchs in Russia want to torpedo any chance at a negotiated peace in Ukraine. Or there is something on that tanker that Putin is willing to risk his relationship with Trump to keep hidden.

by JumpCrisscross

1/1/2026 at 10:17:46 PM

It's probably got thousands of drones and whatever Venezuela needs to produce more.

> The ship, which started its journey in Iran, had been on its way to pick up oil in Venezuela

WSJ reporting elaborates on this journey, for context the US operations began in late August:

> Before heading toward Venezuela, empty of oil, the Bella 1 loaded crude in Iran in early September, Kpler said, and then turned off its transponder near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway linking the oil-rich Persian Gulf to the world. It went dark for two months, and when it came back online close to the same spot, it was no longer carrying oil, Kpler said, suggesting it had unloaded the cargo to other vessels.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/coast-guard-tracks-down...

by benoau