A rusty oil tanker that hastily changes its name and paints a Russian flag on its hull. And an American Coast Guard boarding the ship off the coast of Ireland. The hijacking of the Bella 1 sounds like a spy novel, but mainly raises legal questions. When is a country allowed to board a foreign ship? Professor Jan Wouters (KU Leuven) analyzes.
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If the US boardes a tanker under the Russian flag, are they actually invading a part of Russia?
Bytaketonews
Jan 7, 2026