President Viktor Yushchenko hails a successful completion of a
release operation for 24 Ukrainian sailors from the Ariana bulker, who
had been held captive by Somali pirates since May 2, 2009, the
presidential press-service has reported.
Yushchenko stressed that hard work and 'difficult and tense negotiations' prefaced the successful operation.
“The sailors will be soon deployed to Ukraine by a Ukrainian airplane,” the head of state said.
As reported, Ariana's Greek owners have today said Somali pirates paid a ransom for the vessel.
“We have today paid the ransom and we are waiting when the pirates
free the Ariana,” Spyros Minas, the director of the Athens-based All
Ocean Shipping company, announced but refused to disclose the ransom
amount.
The Ariana, a Maltese-flagged ship was carrying 24 Ukrainian crew
when it was seized on May 2 north of Madagascar en route to the Middle
East from Brazil. The ship belongs to Alloceans shipping in Greece. The
vessel is operated by Greece's Alloceans Shipping Cî. Ltd.
