Togolese pirates release 23 Russian crew unharmed with Greek oil tanker

Moscow, Russian Federation (4E) – Russia on Thursday disclosed that hijackers have released a Greek-owned oil tanker along with all its crew, including 23 Russians and one Greek captain, in Togolese waters.

A statement from the ministry confirmed the safety of all crewmen, adding that the tanker would now continue its journey. The statement, however, did not mention when did the pirates release the crew nor did it speak anything about paying any ransom for the release.

According to the crew company, the pirates had taken out 3,000 tons of petrol before releasing them. Oleg Kravchenko, head of the company, confirmed that neither injuries nor fatalities happened during the hijack, adding that the crewmembers were assessing the damage. Pirates had reportedly hijacked the oil tanker just miles off the Togolese capital Lome on Tuesday morning.

Immediately after the hijacking, the captain contacted the ship owner and assured the safety of all crewmembers. Togo’s coast guard boats ran after the seized tanker but could not catch it. The ministry statement said that the ship went in international waters immediately after the attack.

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