Moscow, Jan. 9 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry urged the United States to return to the established norms and principles of international maritime law and immediately cease its "unlawful actions" against the Marinera and other vessels engaged in lawful activities on the high seas.

In an official statement on Thursday, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed grave concern over what they called illegal use of force by the United States Armed Forces against the oil tanker Marinera on January 7.

The statement mentioned, "Alongside the US administration's disregard for the accepted norms of international maritime navigation, Washington's readiness to provoke acute international crises, including in Russian-American relations, which...