ATHENS. March 27 (Interfax-AVN) The Russian embassy in Greece has confirmed that the captain of a Greek vessel seized by pirates off Somalia's coast is a Russian citizen.
"I can officially confirm this information. We know the name of the captain, but we will not disclose it," the Russian diplomatic mission's press attache Vasily Gavrilov told Interfax on Friday.
The captain is the only Russian aboard the vessel, while the remaining 18 crewmembers are citizens of the Philippines, Gavrilov said.
"The Russian embassy in Greece is keeping in touch with the local authorities and representatives of the company that operates the vessel," the diplomat said.
It was reported on Thursday that Norwegian and Greek vessels had been seized by pirates off Somalia's coast.