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Ukrainian sailor taken hostage in Nigeria released from captivity

He was a crew member of the Italian Asso-Ventuno 21 vessel which pirates seized in the estuary of the Niger River on December 25

KIEV, January 9 (Itar-Tass) — A Ukrainian sailor who was taken hostage off Nigeria’s coast late in December last year has been released, Vasily Zvarych, the deputy head of the information department of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, told journalists on Wednesday. He said that the Ministry had received the information from the Ukrainian embassy in Italy. The Ukrainian sailor was a crew member of the Italian Asso-Ventuno 21 vessel which pirates seized in the estuary of the Niger River on December 25. Four out of 15 crew members, including one Ukrainian, were taken hostage.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman did not specify how exactly the Urkainian hostage had been released. However, he said that six Ukrainian sailors had been released from pirate captivity last year.

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