RIO DE JANEIRO, December 29. /TASS/. The Russian sailors from the crew of the Panama-registered bulk carrier Leros I, who have been stranded in Venezuela for several months, are flying back home, the Russian embassy in Caracas told TASS on Thursday.

"The shipowner has settled all wage arrears. On December 28, 2022, the Russian citizens left the ship after the expiration of their contracts and took a flight home," the embassy said.

After the sailors' appeal, the staff of the Russian embassy, in cooperation with the Russian Foreign Ministry and Venezuela’s law enforcement agencies took measures to protect the rights and legitimate interests of Russian citizens. With the embassy’s assistance the necessary foods were delivered to the ship.

Earlier on Thursday, the Vladivostok seafarers' union said that Russian sailors from the Panama-flagged ship Leros I had been paid almost 10 million rubles in back wages. The report said that in August the ship arrived in Venezuela in poor condition. Soon the sailors stopped receiving wages. The delivery of food and drinking water supplies were paused. The captain contacted the Russian consul in Venezuela, shipowners, operators, managers and agents, Russian and international trade unions of seafarers, and the crewing company. As a result, 10 million rubles of delayed wages was paid to the crew.