Moscow says US released two Russian crew from seized tanker

Russia on Friday said the United States had decided to release two Russian members of the crew of a Russian-flagged oil tanker that Washington seized earlier this week.

"In response to our request, U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to release two Russian citizens aboard the Marinera tanker, previously detained by the United States during an operation in the North Atlantic," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.

"We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the U.S. leadership," she added, without elaborating how many Russian nationals were on board of tanker.