US coast guard seizes tanker Olina carrying Russian oil PHOTO / UPDATED

The US Coast Guard has seized the oil tanker Olina, which was transporting Russian oil, Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence said.

According to the agency, the tanker had been used to export oil and petroleum products in circumvention of G7 sanctions from Russian ports in the Baltic and Black Seas, as well as from the Pacific region, with the shipments mainly destined for China, India and Türkiye, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

The Olina is subject to sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand, the agency said.

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The United States is in the process of seizing the oil tanker Olina in the Caribbean near Trinidad, marking the fifth such interdiction in recent weeks as part of Washington’s efforts to control Venezuelan oil exports, two US officials told Reuters on January 9.

The Olina, which according to public shipping database Equasis was falsely flying the flag of Timor Leste, had previously sailed from Venezuela and had returned to the region, an industry source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

“The vessel’s AIS [location] tracker was last active 52 days ago in the Venezuelan EEZ, northeast of Curacao,” British maritime risk management company Vanguard said separately. “The seizure follows a prolonged pursuit of tankers linked to sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments in the region.”

The Olina left Venezuela last week fully loaded with oil as part of a flotilla shortly after the US seized former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, and the vessel was returning fully loaded to Venezuela following the US blockade of Venezuelan oil exports, the industry source said.

The United States imposed sanctions on the tanker in January last year, when it was named the Minerva M, for what Washington said was it being part of the so-called shadow fleet of ships that sail with little regulation or known insurance.

By Sabina Mammadli