India, Jan. 7 -- Russia has reportedly sent a submarine to escort an empty, rusting oil tanker that has been trying to evade the American blockade of sanctioned vessels near Venezuela, making it the latest flashpoint in US-Russia relations.

The oil tanker, previously known as the Bella 1, failed to dock in Venezuela and take an oil load, The Wall Street Journal reported. Despite it being an empty vessel, the US Coast Guard has been pursuing the ship into the Atlantic as part of its attempt to stop a fleet of tankers that transport illicit oil around the world, including black-market oil sold by Moscow.

The tanker's crew thwarted an attempt by the US to board the vessel in December last year and headed into the Atlantic. However, since t...