Two Ukrainian sailors freed in Tripoli after year in captivity

13:40, 15.01.2016 1 min read

Two Ukrainian sailors, who were held by a Libyan armed group, have been released in Tripoli and are expected to return home on Friday, January 15, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

"Thanks to the efforts made by Ukrainian diplomats, two citizens of Ukraine – crewmembers from the Sun Oil I vessel, who had been held by one of the armed groups in Tripoli since January 2015, were freed on January 14, it said.

They are expected to return to Ukraine on January 15.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Libya has also helped secure the release of the ship's other crewmembers – citizens of Bulgaria and Romania.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has, once again, urged Ukrainian citizens not to travel to Libya, and for Ukrainians currently in Libya to leave the country.