President Viktor Yushchenko hails a successful completion of a release operation for 24 Ukrainian sailors from the Ariana bulker, who had been held captive by Somali pirates since May 2, 2009, the presidential press-service has reported.

Yushchenko stressed that hard work and 'difficult and tense negotiations' prefaced the successful operation.

“The sailors will be soon deployed to Ukraine by a Ukrainian airplane,” the head of state said.

As reported, Ariana's Greek owners have today said Somali pirates paid a ransom for the vessel.

“We have today paid the ransom and we are waiting when the pirates free the Ariana,” Spyros Minas, the director of the Athens-based All Ocean Shipping company, announced but refused to disclose the ransom amount.

The Ariana, a Maltese-flagged ship was carrying 24 Ukrainian crew when it was seized on May 2 north of Madagascar en route to the Middle East from Brazil. The ship belongs to Alloceans shipping in Greece. The vessel is operated by Greece's Alloceans Shipping Cо. Ltd.

Спасибі за Вашу активність, Ваше питання буде розглянуто модераторами найближчим часом

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