MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump has decided to release two Russians from the Marinera tanker crew in response to an appeal from Russia, and Moscow expresses its gratitude for this step, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

"In response to our appeal, President Trump has decided to release two Russian citizens from the Marinera crew, who were previously detained by the US during an operation in the North Atlantic," the diplomat noted in a statement. "We welcome this decision and express our gratitude to the US leadership," she emphasized.

According to Zakharova, the Russian side is urgently addressing issues related to the return of its freed citizens to their homeland.