The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has confirmed a report that pirated took four hostages, including two citizens of Ukraine, in Nigeria's territorial waters on Monday, October 19.

"This information has been confirmed. Indeed, on October 19, pirates attacked the Solarte ship in the territorial waters of Nigeria near the city of Port Harcourt. Two citizens of Ukraine and two citizens of Lithuania were captured as the result of the attack, after which the attackers took their hostages to an undisclosed location," the first secretary of the Department of Consular Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Yevhen Ihnatovsky, said in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday evening.

"At the moment, the Foreign Ministry together with the Consulate of Ukraine in Nigeria and the Consulate General in St. Petersburg, in constant contact with the Lithuanian side and the ship owner, are trying to locate the captured Ukrainian citizens and to ensure their release. The Solarte vessel sails under the flag of the Comoros, the ship owner is a Russian company," he added.

The Maritime Bulletin reported earlier that a Russian reefer ship, Solarte, flying the flag of the Comoros was attacked by pirates 100 miles west of Port Harcourt on October 19. Its four crew members, including two citizens of Ukraine and two Lithuanians, were taken hostages.