MFA has not confirmed there were Russians aboard captured tanker

30.12.2009 Source: RIA Novosti, photo: tanker St James Park (Maritime Bulletin)

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has not confirmed the information that there were Russians on board chemical tanker St James Park captured Monday in the Gulf of Aden, reports RIA Novosti referring to the source in MFA.

"The information about Russian citizens on board the tanker has not been confirmed so far. That information is being checked", said the interviewee.

The tanker with 26 crewmen of various nationalities sailing from Spain to Thailand was captured by pirates in the Gulf of Aden on Dec 28.

According to official website of EU Operation Atalanta, there are three Russians aboard the ship as well as six Indians, five Bulgarians, three Filipinos, three Turks, two Ukrainians, two Romanians, one Polish and one Georgian.

The vessel belongs to Zodiac Maritime Agencies which based in London and operates around 150 sea-going ships with about 5,000 crewmen in total.