Russia formally asked the United States to halt pursuit of Venezuelan oil tanker Marinera after the vessel escaped U.S. Coast Guard interception in the Caribbean.

The U.S. striking Venezuela and capturing its leader has practical implications for China, Russia, Iran and Cuba, and it also sends messages to each nation.

Russia’s Ministry of Transport reported it had lost contact with the tanker, Marinera, previously named the Bella-1, after American forces boarded the vessel, according to multiple outlets.

Russian officials indicated in 2019 that the Kremlin would be willing to back off from its support for Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela in exchange for a free hand in Ukraine, according to Fiona Hill, an adviser to President Donald Trump at the time.

Three drones struck a cafe and hotel in the resort town of Khorly on the Black Sea coast, the region’s Moscow-installed leader said.

Polar bear attacks on humans are extremely rare, but experts say that shrinking sea ice is pushing them to approach inhabited areas in search of food.

The push for tax collection comes as Russia's growth has slowed to a near standstill nearly four years after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russia launched a sweeping attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Jan. 5. The Kremlin’s latest salvo comprised nine missiles and 165 Shahed-type drones, 137 of which were intercepted, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Still, impact sites were recorded across 10 locations, with debris falling in nine others.