Russia on Friday said the United States had decided to release two Russian members of the crew of a Russian-flagged oil tanker that Washington seized earlier this week. The American authorities said the tanker was part of a shadow fleet that carried oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions, and seized it in the North Atlantic despite the ship being escorted by the Russian navy. “In response to our request, US President Donald Trump has decided to release two Russian citizens aboard the Marinera tanker, previously detained by the United States during an operation in the North Atlantic,” Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
