Vessel Attacked by Pirates Off Benin Coast Had 26 Crewmembers - Russian Embassy

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – There were a total of 26 people on board the MSC Mandy vessel, attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, including the citizens of Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, the Russian embassy in Benin told Sputnik.

"We have been told by the General Staff of the Beninese Navy that overnight into January 2, the MSC Mandy vessel, which was sailing not far from Benin’s waters, was attacked by pirates. There were 26 people on board the vessel at the time of the attack, including two Georgian nationals, four Ukrainian nationals and 20 Russian citizens. The attackers kidnapped six people and left," the embassy said.

The diplomatic mission noted that it had no information about the citizenship of those abducted by the pirates. The vessel is currently located in Nigeria’s territorial waters, according to the embassy.

Earlier in the day, the materials of the rescue center of the Russian Federal Agency of Maritime and River Transportation, shared with Sputnik, showed that six seafarers holding Russian citizenship have been abducted by pirates from the MSC Mandy container ship, sailing under the flag of Panama.

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The data showed that there were 24 people on board the ship, including 23 Russian national and a Ukrainian citizen.

Consular staff in Nigeria and Benin are working for the abducted mariners to be released.