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Russian sailor kidnapped by pirates from vessel in Gulf of Guinea

The Embassy is monitoring the developments

PRETORIA, December 1. /TASS/. A Russian national was among four sailors abducted by pirates from a vessel in the Gulf of Guinea, the Russian Embassy in the Republic of Benin and the Togolese Republic said on its website on Monday.

"On November 29 night into November 30 morning there was a pirate attack on a tanker 75 nautical miles away from the port in the city of Lome (the Togolese Republic). The perpetrators abducted four crew members, including a Russian national. The Embassy is monitoring the developments," the statement said.

Earlier, Maritime Bulletin reported that four sailors had been abducted by pirates from the Marshall Islands-flagged AGISILAOS liquid chemical carrier. According to the news portal, the abducted sailors are reportedly citizens of Russia, the Philippines and Romania. The rest of the crew is currently safe. The ship was en route from Pointe-Noire the Republic of the Congo to Lome, the capital of Togo.

Pirates attacked the vessel in Ghana's territorial waters, about five nautical miles away from the shore, says Dryad Global, a maritime security-oriented website. The ship attempted an evasive maneuver, in order to prevent the pirates from boarding. According to the maritime registry, the vessel is owned by a company registered in Athens.

The Gulf of Guinea is currently the most dangerous area of the global ocean, due to a pirate threat. This year, pirates have already abducted more than 120 people in over 20 incidents.

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