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Ukrainian Sailors Held Hostage By Pirates On Their Way Home

Other News Materials 12 February 2009 17:21 (UTC +04:00)

Seventeen sailors from the Ukrainian cargo ship "Faina" will arrive in Kyiv on Friday, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reports.

The vessel was released by Somali pirates last week after a multimillion-dollar ransom was paid.

Ukrainian presidential spokeswoman Irina Vannikova told journalists that the "Faina" is currently in Kenyan territorial waters, where it was taken by Kenyan and U.S. Navy vessels.

Vannikova said an official charter plane was flown to the Kenyan city of Mombassa on the night of February 11 that will take the crew back to Ukraine.

The "Faina" was captured by pirates off of waters near Somalia in September.

The ship was carrying tanks, ammunition, and other armaments that were reportedly bound for Kenya.

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