YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, February 4 (RIA Novosti) - A tugboat with a Russian-British crew, captured by gunmen off Somalia's coast three days ago, is reportedly being held at a port outside the capital Mogadishu, Russian rescue officials said on Monday.
The Svitzer Korsakov was seized in the early afternoon of February 1 during a voyage from St. Petersburg to Russia's Far Eastern island of Sakhalin via Singapore. The ship was intended for use in the Sakhalin II oil and gas project, led by Russian energy giant Gazprom.
Two of the crew including the captain are British, and four are Russians. All of them remain on board the vessel, and are reportedly unharmed.
Talks between the ship owner, a Sakhalin-based company, and the pirates via a British mediator are underway.
The Danish company Svitzer Wijsmuller Sakhalin Ltd. has been contracted by Sakhalin Energy to transport ships to the Russian Far East, and provides ship maintenance services.
Pirate attacks are a common occurrence off Somalia's coast, and in the past several vessels carrying United Nations aid to the country have been targeted. Attackers usually seize cargo, money and other valuables, but rarely capture ships or crew members.
"The Svitzer Korsakov tug has most likely been seized for a ransom payment, as it was carrying no cargo," said Pyotr Osichansky, president of the Far Eastern association of sea captains.
He said ship owners usually manage to negotiate with the local pirates, so there are high chances that the crew will be safely released.
