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Russian sailors kidnapped in Gulf of Guinea are alive, says Russian embassy

One of the Russian citizens, who had been taken to the hospital for treatment, is reported to have been released and another is under medical observation

PRETORIA, May 15. /TASS/. Russian sailors kidnapped by pirates off Equatorial Guinea on May 9 are alive, but two of them were hurt, the Russian embassy in Cameroon, which is also accredited in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, said on Friday.

"According to the available information, Russian sailors kidnapped by pirates off Equatorial Guinea are alive. Two of them are slightly injured. The hostages are presumably kept in the territory of Nigeria," the embassy said on its Facebook page. "The ship’s owner and the authorities of Equatorial Guinea are taking measures for their release."

One of the Russian citizens, who had been taken to the hospital for treatment, is reported to have been released and another is under medical observation.

On May 9, two ships were attacked in the territorial waters of Equatorial Guinea and three Russians were abducted - one from the ship RIO MITTONG, moored off Malabo, and two others from the research vessel DJIBLOHO, anchored off Luba.

The Gulf of Guinea is one of the areas of the world ocean where pirate attacks were most frequent in recent years.

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Number of flooded residential buildings in Russia drops to 16,200

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