India, Jan. 9 -- NEW DELHI, India, January 9 - Three Indian seafarers are among the 28-member crew of a Russian-flagged oil tanker seized by the United States Coast Guard, placing them at the heart of a sharp diplomatic confrontation between Washington and Moscow. The seizure of the vessel 'Marinera' in the North Atlantic has escalated into a broader dispute over international maritime law, with Russia demanding the immediate release of the ship and its crew.

On Wednesday, January 7, U.S. Coast Guard personnel boarded and seized the oil tanker Marinera in international waters of the North Atlantic. The vessel, previously known as Bella 1, was reportedly sailing towards a Russian port. According to Russian state media Russia Today, the cr...