05.02.2009, 14:00
Faina freed, vessel to sail off to Mombasa The Faina ship has been freed, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko "is greeting the Ukrainian sailors - the members of the Faina crew and their relatives, as our compatriots' long-awaited return home is approaching," spokeswoman for the Ukrainian President Irina Vannikova said on Thursday according to Itar-Tass. "On February 4, during a very complex special operation carried out by Ukrainian intelligence bodies in cooperation with foreign partner secret services the vessel was released," Vannikova said. "The rescued crewmembers are alive and in good health on board the Faina. The vessel, guarded by the US Navy, is getting ready to sail off to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, where the sailors will receive first medical aid and other necessary assistance. "Ukraine's authorities are taking all measures towards their soonest sending to their homeland," the spokeswoman said. The Ukrainian vessel Faina laden with military cargoes was captured by pirates off Somalian coast on September 25, 2008. The crew comprised 17 Ukrainians, two Russians and one Latvian. On February 4, pirates received a 3.2-million-dollar ransom.
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