Six Ukrainian sailors were captured by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne on Dec. 19.
Armed pirates attacked the Albanian cargo ship Stevia on Dec. 16, taking the vessel’s 8 crew members, including six Ukrainians, hostage.
The incident was first reported by the daughter of the captured chief mate from Odesa Semyon Reznichenko. Five other Ukrainians remain unidentified.
According to Reznichenko’s daughter Kristina Pulenko, crew members experienced food and water scarcity. The owner of the ship doesn’t take calls so relatives of Ukrainian sailors know nothing more about the current situation, she said.
Pulenko found out about the pirate’s attack from one of seven members of the crew left on the ship.
As for today, both Ukrainian and Albanian governments are trying to rescue the prisoners, said Oleg Nikolenko, the spokesperson of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is not the first time Ukrainian sailors are captured by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea or the Somali coast. The regions remain one of the world’s most dangerous aquatic areas because of sea piracy.
Earlier in July, six Ukrainian sailors were captured by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Benin but safely returned home on Sept. 7. They spent over a month in pirate captivity.
In 2018 alone the International Maritime Burea confirmed at least 50 pirate attacks against commercial vessels in the region, as well as 21 attempted assaults.
