World English News » Estonia

Russia queries Arctic Sea cargo

admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:52:04 +0000

Russia’s top investigator has said a cargo ship which went missing for more than two weeks may have been carrying a more sensitive cargo than first stated.

Alexander Bastrykin’s comments to Interfax news agency are the first official suggestions that the Arctic Sea was carrying more than timber.

The vessel was eventually found on 16 August off West Africa, having apparently being hijacked.

There has been much speculation it may have been carrying weapons for export.

full story–>

Rootology

License

Contradictions Cloud the Arctic Sea Case

admin — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:47:12 +0000

Two days after the lumber freighter the Arctic Sea resurfaced off the West African coast, questions mounted about the ship’s mysterious hijacking, and national media were abuzz with speculation about what its real cargo was.

The Defense Ministry said Wednesday that eight hijackers, captured on the ship near the island nation of Cape Verde on Monday, had threatened to blow up the ship if their ransom demands were not met.

The men threw their weapons overboard when the Arctic Sea was approached by a Russian anti-submarine frigate that had been dispatched to search for the ship, Interfax reported, citing an unidentified ministry spokesperson.

full story–>

Russian navy arrests Arctic Sea ‘pirates’

admin — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:09:14 +0000

Russia has arrested eight nationals of the Baltic states and Russia suspected of hijacking the Arctic Sea cargo ship on July 24, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said Tuesday.

“These people… boarded the Arctic Sea and, using the threat of arms, demanded that the crew follow all of their orders without condition,” news agencies quoted Serdyukov as telling President Dmitry Medvedev.

full story–>