Um ... why didn’t the Russians send their own oilers along on the trip?
The cost of sending fuel ships along would have been nothing compared to the current embarrassment. You don’t set off on a long road trip without making damn sure there are gas stations along the way.
Does the U.S. Navy have any oilers in the Med? Bailing out Ivan might be a nice gesture with big benefits in the long run! Having Putin owe us a favor might be very handy later on.
“why didn’t the Russians send their own oilers along on the trip?”
They did. This article is propaganda nonsense.