Russian Sailors Kidnapped by Pirates 'Alive and Well' - Vessel Captain

The seven Russian nationals and one Ukrainian who were kidnapped by pirates from a German cargo vessel near Nigerian waters are "alive and well," the father of one of the sailors cited the vessel's captain as saying Thursday.

MURMANSK (Russia), (Sputnik) — The BBC Caribbean was on its way from the city of Douala in Cameroon to Tema, Ghana when pirates raided the ship on Sunday, February 5, kidnapping the eight crew members.

"My daughter received a call from the company, saying that the captain made contact — he was allowed to make a call. He said that everyone is alive and well, their upkeep is normal. They asked the relatives not to worry," Igor Ryaboy, father of BBC Caribbean crew member Sergei Gusarov, told Sputnik.

The raid took place some 120 nautical miles southwest of Bonny Island in the Gulf of Guinea. The BBC Caribbean, a multipurpose tweendecker vessel built in 2008, belongs to the German Briese Schiffahrts cargo company.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed Wednesday that pirates had captured seven Russian citizens off Nigerian territorial waters, and the Russian Embassy in Nigeria is trying to secure the release of the crew members.