Released Russian cargo ship in China to head to S.Korea's Busan

A Russian cargo ship impounded in China has been released and will depart for the South Korean port of Busan on Wednesday, an official with the Russian sailor's trade union said.

The Maksim Ammosov ship, owned by Russia's Arctic Shipping Company, was impounded at the port of Yantai on December 23 for outstanding debts totaling $130,000. There are 17 Russian sailors, including two women, on board the vessel.

"I spoke with the sailors and they said the vessel had been released and wiould head to the South Korean port of Busan late on Wednesday afternoon. There the ship will be loaded with food and the sailors will be payed," said Nikolai Sukhanov, the head of the Far Eastern branch of the trade union.

He added that it would take the ship about three days to get to the port of Busan and from there it would continue to the Russian Far Eastern port of Vladivostok. It is expected to arrive in early February.

The sailors earlier refused to vacate the ship in China until the owner paid them they wages they were owed, which totaled some $40,000.

VLADIVOSTOK, January 19 (RIA Novosti)