The Etel Ship left the port of Benghazi at 1930 Kyiv time on Sunday and headed for Cyprus, Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara has told Interfax-Ukraine.
"The vessel is carrying 19 sailors - citizens of Ukraine. The crew is expected to be replaced at Cyprus," the Foreign Ministry's press service reported on Sunday evening.
As reported, on July 17, 2013, the Etel, a ship flying the flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis, whose crew consists of 19 Ukrainian citizens, was seized in the Libyan port of Benghazi by unidentified gunmen. Those who seized the vessel stated that they were protecting the interests of 25 Libyan businessmen who were robbed by the owner of the Etel. The ship was allegedly to transport 600 cars worth about $9.5 million from Jordan to Benghazi. But local businessmen claimed that the cars were unloaded in Ukraine, not at the point of destination.
On August 25, the Sea Amazon, a dry cargo ship carrying cars demanded by Libyan businessmen to free Ukrainians they have taken captive, departed from the port of Illichivsk (Odesa region) for the port of Benghazi (Libya).
On August 29, Oleksandr Dykusarov, a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Kostiantyn Hryschenko, said that the gunmen had left the ship.
