Russian naval forces, including a submarine, have rushed to shield a sanctioned oil tanker from imminent US seizure. The vessel, racing across the North Atlantic, has become a flashpoint in the boiling US-Russia rivalry. With both superpowers flexing their military muscle, the world watches as a potential clash looms.
The drama unfolded last month when the US Coast Guard attempted to board the tanker in the Caribbean. The ship, then known as Bella 1, refused and veered into the Atlantic. Crew members quickly painted a Russian flag on its hull and renamed it Marinera.
