Moscow: The Russian Ministry of Transport announced Wednesday that US naval forces boarded the Russian oil tanker Marinera in international waters outside the territorial waters of any country, noting that contact with the tanker has been lost.
The ministry said in a press release carried by Russian media that Marinera had received a temporary sailing permit on Dec. 24, flying the Russian flag, issued in accordance with Russian legislation and international law.
The statement added that, according to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation on the seas applies, and no state has the right to use force against vessels officially registered in the territorial waters of other states.
