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Eight kidnapped Russian, Ukrainian sailors released by Nigerian pirates

Xinhua, March 5, 2017 Adjust font size:

Seven Russian and one Ukrainian crew members of a German vessel had been released from the captivity of Nigerian pirates, Sevastopol human rights commissioner Pavel Butsai said Sunday.

"The Russian sailors -- residents of Sevastopol in Crimea -- are already in the airport of Germany's Frankfurt and will fly to their motherland in coming days," Butsai was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

"They are happy and well," he added.

Butsai did not disclose details of the release, only saying that everything was "successful and effective."

The ship BBC Caribbean, which belongs to German company Briese Schiffahrts, was attacked by Nigerian pirates on Feb. 5 in the Gulf of Guinea en route from Cameroon to Ghana.

The eight crew members were kidnapped while the vessel itself was not captured. Endi