Of the 17 sailors-citizens of Ukraine detained by the United States during the arrest of the Bella1 vessel under the Russian flag, 16 were released, and one is being taken to America, Suspilne reports, citing a response from the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States of America.

" He will be delivered to the United States, where procedural actions will be carried out against him,” the embassy said..

They also reported that the United States will inform Ukrainian diplomats after the detainee is delivered to American soil for further follow-up of the case..

As for the other 16 Ukrainian citizens, they went ashore in Great Britain.

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The tanker Bella 1/Marinera under the Russian flag was detained by the United States in the North Atlantic on January 7, 2026. The ship transported oil from Venezuela to Russia. The Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Olga Stefanishina said that among the crew members there are 17 citizens of Ukraine.

Representative of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army Sergei Bratchuk later clarified that the sailors came from the occupied Crimea and at the control they presented Ukrainian passports.

The White House subsequently said the ship was under sanctions and was seized on a federal warrant, and its crew would be tried for violating federal law..

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that there were Russian citizens working there on the tanker and demanded their return.