It was on Monday that the freighter Solong collided with the Swedish-owned tanker Stena Immaculate, which is chartered by the US defense and was carrying jet fuel.
Fires broke out on both vessels and the crews were evacuated. One person is missing after the collision and is feared to have died.
Solong is flagged in Portugal. The crew on board came from Russia and the Philippines, according to the owner Ernst Russ, as reported by Sky News.
The captain's Russian nationality raises questions in light of the sensitive global security situation. The 58-year-old was arrested on Tuesday by British police and is suspected of causing another person's death.
Stena Immaculate was hired by the US military and was anchored in the North Sea when it was rammed by Solong. A large tank with jet fuel was punctured, which contributed to the severe fires and raised concerns about spills off England's northern coast.
Stena Immaculate had a total of 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in its cargo and all crew members were from the USA.
