Fact Check: Viral Video Of US Navy Seizing Tanker Dates Back To 2025 Training Exercise, Not Related To Russia
The US military has seized two ships, including a Russian-flagged oil tanker, but the viral video of soldiers landing on the ship’s deck is old.
- By: Sharad Prakash Asthana
- Published: Jan 10, 2026 at 12:30 PM
New Delhi (Vishvas News). Following the attack on Venezuela, the US military has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker and another ship in the North Sea. A video is circulating on social media, showing soldiers rappelling from a helicopter onto a ship. Some users are sharing the video and claiming that it shows the US military seizing a Russian-flagged oil tanker coming from Venezuela.
Vishvas News investigated and found that while the US military did seize the Russian-flagged oil tanker, the viral video dates back to October 2025, when US Navy SEALs demonstrated their capabilities to President Trump. The same video is now being shared as a recent incident.
What is the viral post?
Instagram user anchor_sanjay_yadav shared the video (archived link) on January 8, 2026, with the caption, “US Navy seizes Russian oil tanker coming from Venezuela!”
Investigation
To verify the viral claim, we first conducted a Google search using relevant keywords. According to a report published on the New York Times website on January 7, and updated on January 8, 2026, “The US military seized two oil tankers on January 7, 2026, one of which is a Russian-flagged vessel. The US military issued a statement saying that security forces “seized” the ship in the North Atlantic between Scotland and Iceland for violating US sanctions. The ship was not carrying oil. Meanwhile, the Russian Transport Ministry confirmed that US forces seized the ship, which was until recently known as Bella 1 and is now called Marinera, in international waters.”
We then extracted keyframes from the viral video and searched them using Google Lens. A related story was published on the South China Morning Post’s website on October 6, 2025. The keyframe was embedded in the story. The caption reads, “A US Navy Seal team lands on the deck of a US ship during a demonstration on Sunday. Photo: AFP.” According to the report, US President Donald Trump praised the US Navy in Norfolk, Virginia, on the Navy’s 250th anniversary.
This photo can also be viewed on Getty Images. The caption reads, “A US Navy Seal Team lands on the deck of a US Naval ship during a demonstration for US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump during a visit to the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier which is out at sea near Norfolk, Virginia, October 5, 2025, as they travel to see a Naval demonstration as part of the US Navy’s 250th anniversary celebration, “America’s Navy 250: Titans of the Sea – A Salute to the Fleet”. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)”
Instagram user aviationdiaryhd posted the viral video on October 6, 2025, writing, “Navy SEALs put on a live-fire show of strength as President Trump and the First Lady watch aboard the USS George H.W. Bush -celebrating 250 years of naval excellence! us & #USNavy”
This made it clear that the viral video is not of the capture of a Russian-flagged oil tanker.
We contacted JP Ranjan, Dainik Jagran’s special correspondent covering foreign affairs, regarding this matter. He said that the US military had seized two oil tankers.
Lastly, we scanned the profile of the user who shared the old video, linking it to a recent incident and found that the user has around 21,000 followers.
Conclusion: The US military has seized two ships, including a Russian-flagged oil tanker, but the viral video of soldiers landing on the ship’s deck is old.
- Claim Review : US Navy seizes Russian oil tanker coming from Venezuela
- Claimed By : Instagram user anchor_sanjay_yadav
- Fact Check : False
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