Yemen to release detained Russian ship by Wednesday evening

05/10/2011

MOSCOW, October 5 (RIA Novosti)

A Russian vessel and its crew detained by the Yemeni coastguard will be released by Wednesday evening, said a spokesman for Russia’s embassy in Yemen, Aidar Taigunov.

On Monday, the Yemeni coastguard detained a Russian vessel in Yemeni territorial waters in the Red Sea and convoyed it to a port in Hodeidah province. The coastguard said 19 weapons of various kinds were found on board the Russian vessel.

“As a result of the embassy's prompt actions in contacting the Yemeni authorities, and after clarifying why the vessel was in the Gulf of Aden and explaining that it protected Russian trading ships passing through the Red Sea against Somali pirates, we were told that the vessel and its crew will be released by this evening”, said the spokesman.