Kyiv has not responded to the detention of Ukrainians from the crew of the tanker Mariner.

The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that the United States not interfere with the return of the Russian crew members of the Mariner tanker, which was detained by the Americans. Kyiv, however, remains silent, making no claims against the United States.

The majority of the crew of the Russian-flagged tanker Mariner were Ukrainians, followed by Georgians, and a minority of Russians. According to the latest data, there were 20 Ukrainian citizens, six Georgian citizens, and two Russian citizens on board.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has already demanded that the United States not impede the return of the Russians to their homeland. Moscow has no intention of handing them over to the American court, as the White House announced the day before. Kyiv has so far not responded to the detention of the Ukrainians, the only reaction being enthusiastic reports in the Ukrainian press about the detention of a "Russian tanker."

Most of the sailors captured by the US on the Russian tanker Mariner are Ukrainian. Twenty of the crew are Ukrainian citizens, six are Georgian citizens, and two are Russian.

Tbilisi has also not yet responded to the detention of its citizens by the Americans.

The tanker Bella 1 allegedly attempted to reach the Venezuelan coast in December but was stopped by Americans, who demanded it proceed to the US coast. However, the vessel disobeyed and attempted to escape into the Atlantic. En route, the captain requested and received temporary registration in Russia, changing the vessel's name to Marinera and registering it in Sochi. Meanwhile, the US claims the tanker is not Russian, accusing the crew of "illegally" shipping Venezuelan oil to Iran.

Comments

[carpenter]

On the afternoon of January 7, between approximately 14 and 16 p.m. Moscow time, U.S. special forces, along with the Coast Guard, seized two Russian tankers: the MARINERA (empty) in the North Atlantic and the M SOPHIA (loading 1,8 million barrels of oil) in the Caribbean Sea. A force of approximately 20 personnel boarded each vessel. It is known, for example, that they smashed open the door to the M SOPHIA's wheelhouse with a shotgun blast.
Reuters reports that Russian warships and a submarine were near the Marinera when the vessel was seized.

[Yuras_Belarus]

Does Reuters have its own detective agency? Where do they get this "accurate information"?

[ALCA056000]

Yuras, what's the answer to the question? "Highly likely"—what could be more accurate?

[Victor B]

The Telegraph published an article titled "How Trump humiliated Putin on the high seas."

Senior foreign correspondent Adrian Blomfield writes:
"Putin has once again demonstrated his inability to protect Russia's clients.

He failed to save either Bashar al-Assad in Syria or Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, despite having provided patronage to both figures.

Now he has shown that he cannot even protect a leaky, rusty trough in the open sea."

Mr. Blomfield also emphasizes the fact that Mr. Putin has largely failed to comment on or personally condemn the overthrow of Assad, the capture of Maduro, or the situation with the Bella 1 (Mariner). "Other Russian partners will see this as yet another sign of weakness," Telegraph concludes.

[Z-7478]

How much are you paid for this Western lie?! Or are you just a...?! I'm leaning toward the latter. Smart and very famous people in the US call Trump a disgrace to America and laugh at him openly! This red-haired moron humiliates and disgraces the US every day. This gangster tan is hated all over the world, so who's really humiliating whom?

[Victor B]

How much do they pay you for this Western lie?!

I'll send you the account number, make sure I get paid.

Unfortunately, this article had over 800 reader comments this morning, most of which criticized Putin and praised Trump. So it would be good for you to know what public opinion in the West actually is regarding these events.

Why do we need to know this? So that we can make decisions based not on fantasy, but on solid ground.

However, your opinion is also of interest.

[Alekseev]

They write, they write...
Why is the crew on the "Russian" tanker almost entirely made up of citizens from Ukraine?
What is vessel registration? Who owns such a vessel?
Yesterday it had the flag of some islands, and today it has the flag of Russia?
Who and on what basis allowed it to be raised?
In general, we are moving towards the formation of a convoy system on sea routes.
And on ships there are armed guards.
Here on the ship where the captain, i.e. the representative of the Russian authorities and the Russian armed security team are, the state flag must be raised.
And so it’s just a laugh: a private ship, the flag changes like gloves, the owner is unknown.
Just to write some bullshit in the tabloids, to agitate the narrow-minded citizens who don’t know what to do, but there is a noble rage in them
boils over.

[carpenter]

Quote: Alekseev

Why is the crew on the "Russian" tanker almost entirely made up of citizens from Ukraine?

In accordance with Article 56 of the Merchant Shipping Code (hereinafter referred to as the RF MSC), foreign citizens and stateless persons may serve as crew members on ships flying the Russian flag, but they may not hold the positions of captain, chief mate, chief engineer, or radio specialist.

[nik-mazur]

Quote: carpenter

ships under the Russian flag can sail foreign citizens and stateless persons who cannot hold the position of captain, senior assistant, senior mechanic and radio specialist

The captain of this ship is a Georgian citizen, which makes the situation ambiguous and even somewhat contradictory.

[Cool90]

Because this tanker isn't Russian. It left a port in Iran under the Panamanian flag, and when it was about to leave, it changed its colors. (A tanker at sea can fly a new flag every day, but at the first port where it's inspected, show the certificates, who issued them, on what basis, are they valid, and is there a class and insurance policy?)

[tihonmarine]

Quote: Alekseev

Why is the crew on the "Russian" tanker almost entirely made up of citizens from Ukraine?

After the country's collapse, a lot of them appeared, about half the crew from the independent state. They are recruited through crewing companies; rural workers can be paid less. They can even do without social benefits.

[tihonmarine]

Quote: Alekseev

Yesterday it had the flag of some islands, and today it has the flag of Russia?
Who and on what basis allowed it to be raised?

Buy a ship and register it wherever you want. Of course, you'll pay less for a cheap flag.
You can register your vessel in Russia, too. But there are always nuances. First, which Classification Society can you register with? You can go with RS (Russian Register of Shipping), Lloyd's Register of Shipping, or even a Greek one. It all depends on where the ship was built and which Register. Each Register has different requirements, and they don't all match.

[tihonmarine]

Quote: Alekseev

Here on the ship where the captain, i.e. the representative of the Russian authorities and the Russian armed security team are, the state flag must be raised.

You have a captain, an armed crew on board, you won’t be able to enter any other port except a Russian one (well, maybe only the DPRK).

[Z-7478]

Stop spreading lies, you're a paid spy! The tanker isn't Russian! The article describes everything accurately. Read it again! And the fact that Reuters lies, and always does, is a well-known fact!

[Neptus]

Quote: carpenter

Reuters reports that Russian warships and a submarine were near the Marinera when the vessel was seized.

If they blurted out something about a submarine guarding a ship, and in the Atlantic at that...
This is already a "level".

[opuonmed]

The Kiev regime is not sovereign, it does whatever the boss says, sometimes it barks at its own discretion!

[Arthur Grudinin]

I don't understand, is this our tanker or not? If there are two Russian citizens on board, and the rest are Ukrainians and Georgians, then what kind of harsh response are we talking about?

[dmi.pris1]

Well, imagine the US reaction if the opposite had happened and there had been at least one American on board.

[Driller]

Quote from: dmi.pris1

Well, imagine the US reaction if the opposite had happened and there had been at least one American on board.

And what would the reaction be? There are plenty of Americans sitting in prisons around the world. There are plenty of people running around the world "searching for treasure." Should we respond to them all? Foreign ministries give a standard runaround, and that's enough...

[maximkrivihin]

So everyone saw how they reacted to the murder of an American journalist in the SBU - they simply did not notice this inconvenient fact.

[dmi.pris1]

This is the American who, for them, is not an American at all.

[maximkrivihin]

Well, he was, in fact, for freedom of speech and for objective coverage of events - just as the Americans themselves teach the rest of the world.
Apparently this is something else and we don’t understand anything about democracy at all.

[tihonmarine]

Quote: maximkrivihin

Well, he was, in fact, for freedom of speech and for objective coverage of events - just as the Americans themselves teach the rest of the world.

In a country where slavery was officially abolished in one of the states only in 2011. And you're talking about freedom and so on, in order.

[nik-mazur]

Quote from: dmi.pris1

Imagine the US reaction if the opposite happened and there was even one American on board.

Actually, there was a situation where Iranian sailors brought American Marines to their knees, and nothing happened—the mighty US simply let it slide. And as for some sailors on some random tanker, no one cared at all.

[Yuras_Belarus]

A merchant fleet is defined by its registry. At the time of the seizure, the tanker was registered in Sochi, Russia. So, it is now a Russian tanker. The nationality of the crew is irrelevant.

[carpenter]

Quote: Yuras_Belarus

The merchant fleet is defined by its registration.

According to the flag, which is recorded in the ship's documents.

[Cool90]

The tanker isn't Russian. It left a port in Iran under a Panamanian flag, and when it was about to leave, it changed its colors. (A tanker at sea can fly a new flag every day, but at the first port where it's inspected, show the certificates, who issued them, on what basis, whether they're valid, whether there's a class and insurance.)

[nik-mazur]

Quote: Yuras_Belarus

At the time of the seizure, the tanker was registered in Sochi, Russia.

The question is, how did he get it? As far as I understand, changing a flag in mid-ocean is possible, but pointless, because it has to be reflected in documents that can only be issued in port.

[Michael]

Quote: Artur Grudinin

I didn’t understand, is this our tanker or not?

I immediately remembered the imperishable:
-He's not yours and not even mine, he's theirs!

[Denis_999]

If the merchant fleet UNDER YOUR STATE FLAG can be seized like some rusty Somali vessel, then... WHY do you need to be in BIG geopolitics? Go over to the camp of all those Macrons, they have nuclear weapons too, but the weight is a pittance?

In 1985, wrestler Hulk Hogan demonstratively spat on the Soviet flag and used it to clean his shoes. During a sporting event! The year Gorbachev became General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee.

The current situation is the SAME. It's not emotions, it's just geopolitics.

[Engineer]

If the merchant fleet UNDER YOUR STATE FLAG can be captured

Is it possible to change the flag on the fly, right in front of the Americans?
It reminds me of either Lord of War or one of Oglaf's stories.

[Denis_999]

Scroll down the thread a little, there is another post of mine at the bottom, basically, that’s all I can answer you about this.

[carpenter]

Quote: Artur Grudinin

I didn’t understand, is this our tanker or not?

Both vessels became "Russian" at the end of December, changing their flags after leaving Venezuela.

[Denis_999]

In accordance with Article 17 of the Merchant Shipping Code of the Russian Federation, a vessel enjoying the right to sail under the State Flag of the Russian Federation, has the nationality of the Russian Federation.

What difference does it make WHAT moment they became Russian?! Either they need to be properly defended (and with all their might), or they need to change their own maritime legislation and stay out of the big geopolitical games.

[Arisaka]

You can't change your home port or nationality on the high seas. This was essentially a blatant attempt at fraud.

[Victor B]

It is not possible to change the port of registry and nationality in the open sea-ocean.

Why not? Who said so?

Another thing is that before making any changes, I should have thought about it and imagined the possible consequences. The end result was a complete disaster.

[Arisaka]

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982
Article 92, paragraph 2

A ship which sails under the flags of two or more States, using them according to convenience, may not claim any of the nationalities in question with respect to any other State, and may be assimilated to a ship without nationality.

A vessel flying the flags of two or more States, using them for convenience, cannot claim any of the corresponding nationalities in relation to any other State and may be assimilated to a vessel without nationality.

[Victor B]

Article 92

Status of courts

1. A vessel shall fly the flag of one State only and, except in exceptional cases expressly provided for in international treaties or in this Convention, shall be subject to its exclusive jurisdiction on the high seas. A vessel may not change its flag while sailing or while calling at a port. except in cases of actual transfer of ownership or change of registration.

[Arisaka]

Correct, "valid" = issued under the law of the flag state.
Change of registration means removal from one register and inclusion in another.
With documents, dates, signatures—physically and legally, this is done on the shore, not in the ocean. It's like changing the license plate on a car while driving. You can post the numbers of a joke bank, but legally, it's a forgery.

[Victor B]

"Legally, this is done on the shore, not in the ocean."

That's what they did on shore. And then they sent a fax to the ocean to implement the shipowner's decision.

If there were any violations of Russian law in this particular case (which could very well have been the case), that's a matter for consideration by a Russian court or a higher-ranking administrative body. Until their decision, there are documents that remain unannulled. These are the ones to be followed.

[Arisaka]

I, sinfully, looked it up in the available IMO databases—it's actually Russian registered. Perhaps they really did arrange everything in advance.

[nik-mazur]

Quote: Denis_999

What difference does it make at WHAT moment they became Russian?

As far as I understand, the main question is: How did this ship become Russian?
It seems that the story with this tanker is somewhat reminiscent of gender identification – and I suddenly felt like a boy.

[Andobor]

Quote: Artur Grudinin

What kind of harsh response are we talking about?

And we are not talking about a harsh response; this was clear from the start.

[Hole puncher]

I wonder who the master is?

[tralflot1832]

I'll disappoint you on the Bella1 captain's bridge, the "Georgian sea mafia" rules. KDP - Georgian. "Drinking" will be good.

[Hole puncher]

Quote: tralflot1832

Rules of the Georgian Sea Mafia

Like, there are a lot of Georgians among the masters?

[tralflot1832]

During the Soviet era, there was a "Georgian Trad Fleet" Poti-based fairytale fleet Shevardnadze didn't touch him. The currencies were like those of a fool - shag among the command staff close to the captain.

[tihonmarine]

Quote: tralflot1832

It was like a fool - the command staff close to the captain had shag.

Yeah, they had a great time under the Soviet Union. And then, in a flash, it all disappeared.

[tralflot1832]

There was a story: all the lampposts in Murmansk were covered with posters asking "help find my husband!" He went on a voyage and never returned, and his name was still Georgian. The most modern fleet in the USSR simply disappeared in the space of six months and a year—the Super Atlantics and Pulkovo Meridians, all new construction.

[tihonmarine]

Quote: Puncher

Like, there are a lot of Georgians among the masters?

Currently, they don’t issue KDPs in Georgia, so it’s not enough.

[nik-mazur]

Quote: tralflot1832

KDP - Georgian

It was noted above that a foreigner or stateless person cannot be captain of a Russian vessel. Is this really true?

[carpenter]

Quote: Puncher

I wonder who the master is?

According to Article 30 of the Merchant Shipping Code, the captain of a vessel sailing under the State Flag of the Russian Federation must be a citizen of the Russian Federation.

[Cool90]

The tanker captain is a Georgian citizen

[carpenter]

Quote: Kull90

The tanker captain is a Georgian citizen

It all fits together, since the tanker arrived in Venezuela under a foreign flag.

[Cool90]

So how did this tanker become Russian if at the time of its detention the captain was a Georgian citizen?
Most likely there were some scammers who thought they could deceive everyone.

[carpenter]

Quote: Kull90

So how did this tanker become Russian if at the time of its detention the captain was a Georgian citizen?

It's also simple.
A vessel acquired outside the Russian Federation shall enjoy the right to sail under the State Flag of the Russian Federation from the moment the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Venezuela issues a temporary certificate certifying such right and valid until the vessel is registered in the State Register of Ships, the Russian International Register of Ships, but for no more than six months.

The Georgian captain was supposed to take the ship to Russia,

[Cool90]

How can I obtain this certificate while at sea?

[carpenter]

Quote: Kull90

How can I obtain this certificate while at sea?

The tanker received them in a Venezuelan port and raised the Russian flag upon setting out to sea. The Yankees knew all this.

[Cool90]

The articles indicate that the tanker left Iran under the Panamanian flag, did not enter Venezuela, i.e., did not enter the port, and changed its flag during the pursuit.

[carpenter]

Quote: Kull90

So, the articles indicate that the tanker left Iran under the Panamanian flag.

So, I got the documents in Iran. But the most interesting thing is that the tanker was in ballast at the time, without cargo.

[Cool90]

Well, the flag is changed in the port, not during a chase at sea.
The tanker was sailing to Venezuela under the Panamanian flag.
And if, for example, a Russian ship is chasing Japanese poachers, and during the chase they draw the Russian flag, then it turns out they are just fishermen and there is no reason to detain them; they could have printed the documents in Iran.

[carpenter]

Quote: Kull90

They could have printed the documents in Iran.

Yes, at the Russian embassy (specifically, a temporary certificate).

[Cool90]

According to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a vessel must sail under the flag of only one country and has no right to change it during the voyage or after entering a port.

[carpenter]

Quote: Kull90

a vessel must sail under the flag of only one country and has no right to change it during the voyage or after entering a port

Yes, on one ship we changed three flags in a year. First, we were under Sao Tome and Principe, then the Kingdom of Tonga, and the third was under Malta.

[Cool90]

You can do it every day, but you can't go to the sea while being chased

[tihonmarine]

Quote: Kull90

You can do it every day, but you can't go to the sea while being chased

Well, it means they "slipped over it, let it slip away," and the Yankees took advantage (even though there are no laws for them), Bezukhy cancelled everything.

[snow mountain]

Quote: carpenter

Reuters reports that Russian warships and a submarine were near the Marinera when the vessel was seized.

And with what pomp they were sent to export our ships!

[Cool90]

Is there any evidence that there were Russian ships there? After all, Reitars is a lying propaganda cesspool.
and how could the submarine sent yesterday have ended up near the tanker?

[Prisoner]

But ours reacted with a chill, damn it! The piracy allegations and concerns about the violation of international law caused panic among the gangsters of Pindostan. Probably.

[Gvardeetz77]

Now they'll come up with something like this: "20 brave Ukrainian sailors couldn't stand the humiliation of being on a ship flying the Russian flag, so they provided every assistance to American special forces in neutralizing a large Russian crew of two sailors."
So, what can they say? Twenty people were on the crew of a "temporary Russian vessel," providing services to unfriendly countries. The only way to do that is to claim they "occupied part of Russian territory" for further advantageous negotiations, but the people, as they say, won't swallow it.

[GGV]

The article simply states that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry doesn't care about the extradition of its citizens. So these citizens should pray that they aren't handed over to the Ukrainians; they'll end up at the front that same day.

[Engineer]

Not to interfere with the return of the Russian crew members from the Mariner tanker detained by the Americans. But Kyiv remains silent.

Well, he's keeping quiet... why would he say anything? Something tells me these sailors left Ukraine for a lot of money and have no desire to return.

[Foaly]

I assumed there were no Russians there at all. The ship, owned by a Turkish company, was sailing from Iran to Venezuela, and along the way, it swapped its Panamanian flag for a Guyanese one, and then, at the last minute, for a Russian one—is it a nuclear war, as so many men with feminine psyches (a sad phenomenon of Russian society, alas) on the neighboring riverbanks are calling for? Even the words used are characteristic: worthless, impotent.
It's clear the Americans have gone too far. It's clear a retaliatory response is needed. But not in the spirit of Brazilian soap operas and not in a wave of hysteria. It's the hysterical ones who really need to be weeded out; they're the real enemies of our country.

[Denis_999]

It would be really worth thinning out the hysterical women somehow; they are the real enemies of our country.

Security rolled up :)

In principle, I absolutely don't disagree with you. I'll just clarify that it wouldn't hurt to dramatically improve the quality of government and business management (including in geopolitics).

[Andobor]

Quote: Foalish

It would be really worth thinning out the hysterical women somehow; they are the real enemies of our country.

There are a lot of CIPS cells on the network, including in the VO feed, that's why it jumps around.

[Foaly]

There are a lot of CIPS cells on the network, including in the VO feed, that's why it jumps around.

]
It's mostly our own people doing the noise here, homegrown ones. This kind of panic and decadence, spread across the country, has backfired on the country more than once.
I remember how the USSR collapsed. The ground was prepared. And it was actively fertilized by hysterical women like these. Back then, they screamed and spat, "The party bosses stole everything!" Now they're screaming, "What a country they destroyed!"
Meanwhile, the country faced its collapse with complete equanimity. Amid the chaos, this news was perceived as a natural course of events. After a while, the crybabies found others to blame for all the troubles.

[Andobor]

Quote: Foalish

Well, it's mostly our own people making noise here, homegrown ones.

For some of its homegrown supporters, for example the communists, the current Russian government is the same enemy as it is for the Central Intelligence Agency.

[Montezuma]

Quote: Foalish

The Turkish-owned vessel was sailing from Iran to Venezuela, and along the way it changed its Panamanian flag to a Guyanese one, and at the last moment, to a Russian one – in order to start a nuclear war over it.

No one is going to start a nuclear war, but the situation with the urgent replacement of the flag with a Russian one is unclear. It was clear the Americans wouldn't leave the tanker alone, but they delayed the seizure, giving the tabloid press an excuse to spin a tide about how the Russian flag didn't hinder the valiant landing party's daring capture of an unarmed and defenseless vessel. Moreover, even the captain is Georgian, and only two of the entire crew are Russian.

[nik-mazur]

Quote: Montezuma

The situation with the urgent replacement of the flag with the Russian one is unclear.

The American vice president gave away the base: “It was a fake Russian oil tanker. They, in fact, tried to pose as a Russian oil tanker to avoid sanctions"From his words, it turns out that real Russian tankers face no penalties for violating American sanctions.

[GGV]

These hysterical women have been screaming on this site for two days now, and on other sites it's a complete howl, and anyone who doesn't howl along is being downvoted relentlessly. Honestly, your commentary is more intelligible than all the articles on this topic I've read in the last two days, and if it's all true, that's a whole different story.

[16112014nk]

Quote: VictorB

"Putin has once again demonstrated his inability to protect

This is called moral and political impotence. It seems incurable.

[Karabin]

I'm reading the comments. A normal anti-crisis situation. The tanker isn't ours, the crew is Ukrainian, the captain is Georgian. Two Russians somehow got in there, well, who knows. Basically, the tanker "has no strategic significance." Gentlemen, comrades, this rusty tub was sailing under the Russian flag, the Russian Ministry of Transport confirmed its port of Sochi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took notice, and a submarine came to the rescue. It's too late to back out. All that remains is to admit that Russia has been walked all over and lumped in with third-world countries.

[Cool90]

How can you explain how a Georgian citizen was able to navigate a Russian vessel, given that Article 30 of the Russian Federation Water Transport Code states that the captain must be a Russian citizen holding a valid vessel captain's certificate.

[Karabin]

How can you explain how a Georgian citizen was piloting a Russian vessel?

So what if it's a rusty ship? Our RUSNANO was headed by an Israeli citizen, and the deputy prime minister was also an Israeli citizen. A dozen industry ministers held foreign passports, mostly American, where they went after their resignations. I won't even mention the offspring of current top-level politicians.

[Cool90]

Rusnano was headed by Chubais, who had Russian citizenship.
Which of the sectoral ministers did not have Russian citizenship?
offspring are not active politicians
And yet, by law, the ship's captain must be a citizen of Russia, and the flag is changed not at sea, but in port. *This is enshrined in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, according to which a ship must sail under the flag of only one state*

[YanniKounnar]

Peut être suis je trop paranoïaque ou machiavélique?
Mais en lisant 20 membres d'équipage de nationalité Ukrainienne je ne peux m'empécher de penser: "et si cela n'était qu'une provocation montée de toutes pièces par...Kiev ?
Je m'explique : Vous prenez un pétrolier sous pavillons Panama ou autre, vous le faites charger du pétrole Venezuelien en direction de l'Iran ( et cela sous le nez des USA qui sont bien sur complices dans ce cas là ) ; vous changez de pavillon alors que vous êtes sur le point d'être piraté...en espérant que face à ce piratage la Russie réagisse fortement et vous donne ainsi le "droit" ou plutôt le prétexte d'une attaque/intervention.. Cette réplique ) la saisi d'un pétrolier "Russe" devenant l'equivalent de la petite fiole brandie à l'ONU...
Je sais cela semble tortueux comme raisonnement mais si j'etais à la place des USA/Kiev je pourrais réaliser ce genre de "piège"...mais je sais je suis "machiavélique" et je ne me soigne pas! :-)

Maybe I'm too paranoid or Machiavellian?
But reading about the 20 Ukrainian crew members, I can't help but think: "What if this was just a provocation, staged from scratch...by Kiev?
I explain to myself: you take a tanker under the flag of Panama or something else, load it with Venezuelan oil towards Iran (and this is under the nose of the US, which is certainly complicit in this matter); you change the flag when you are about to be hacked... hopefully, in the face of this hack, Russia will react decisively and thus give you the "right" or rather a pretext to attack/intervene. This remark) the seizure of a "Russian" tanker, which has become the equivalent of a small flask worn at the UN...
I know it sounds weird, but if I were in the US/Kyiv's shoes, I could set up such a "trap"... but I know I'm a "Machiavellian" and don't treat myself!: -)

[ALCA056000]

Someone's sleeping by the pots. That's 20 clients...

[isv000]

Two Russians, a foreman and an old man? And no one's going to help the boys out there. People aren't needed in Zavalyashchaya, especially if they worked for the Russians.

[swan49]

The tanker Marinera does indeed have a "false flag," which we don't want to dwell on. The fact is that a vessel's flag belonging to a particular state imposes on that state not only the responsibility to protect it but also the responsibility to regulate it. For inspectors, the most important factor isn't the flag itself, but the set of ship documents issued by the flag state and whether they are recognized under international procedures. When reflagging, a vessel is removed from one register, confirmation of the removal is received, then registered in another register and documents are received confirming the right to sail under the new flag. At the same time, call signs and system entries are reissued, and some safety certificates are reconfirmed. Inspectors will be tediously asking: "Show me the certificates, who issued them, on what basis, and so on, and so forth." And don't forget the concept of "port state." A port inspector's report and a list of defects that must be corrected before sailing are required. As one might expect, the ship has problems with many of these documents. Geography is then important. On the high seas, the general principle is that jurisdiction primarily rests with the flag state, and intervention by other countries is limited to exceptions that depend on the situation. Therefore, in disputes over detention or inspection, the location of the event is sometimes more important than any words. The same incident can be interpreted radically differently in different waters.
And one more thing. EXTERRITORIALITY of ships is a principle of international law according to which military and other government vessels in foreign waters (ports, territorial seas) are considered to be floating territory of their flag, under the jurisdiction of the flag state, not the host country. This ensures their immunity and independence from local law, but DOES NOT APPLY TO MERCHANT VESSELS. This principle is enshrined in the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The United States has not ratified this Convention.
Westerners write that, through various shell companies, the tanker belongs to companies controlled by Medvedchuk and Shor. It would be worth fighting for if these gentlemen's activities had any effect on Russia in Ukraine and Moldova. As it is, it's nothing but a headache.