ABU DHABI, October 7 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian captain of a cargo vessel stranded in the United Arab Emirates has asked local authorities to impound his ship.
The Magdalena, owned by a German company and flying the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, has been anchored 16 miles off UAE coast near Dubai since early August due to an engine breakdown.
Roman Vostryakov told RIA Novosti that he had appealed to the UAE authorities to impound the ship, which is carrying over 4,800 metric tons of cargo, to force the owners to pay out over five months in wages owed to the crew.
The vessel's owner reportedly owes the crew $230,000 in wage arrears. Onboard are nine Russians, two Ukrainians, four citizens of the Philippines, and one Estonian. Five of the sailors are continuing a hunger strike in demand of back pay.
"All that we ask for is to receive our wages and return home," Vostryakov said.
He said food supplies have been finally delivered on board the ship and water supplies were expected to arrive shortly.
The crew earlier asked for international aid as they were running out of food and water.
This is not the first incident involving Russian sailors abroad. Last September, Chinese authorities impounded the Vasily Yan cargo ship and the Professor Voskresensky vessel over debts of the ships' Russian owner, the Arctic Shipping Company.
In addition, around 60 Russian sailors on six fishing vessels were "abandoned" in Vietnam by Russian ship owners. The sailors have not been paid their wages for several months.
