Foreign Ministry: Six Ukrainians on board Blida, a ship seized by pirates

Six citizens of Ukraine are among the crewmembers of the Blida, a ship hijacked by Somali pirates on January 1, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported on Tuesday.

The ministry said that the ship's owner is Algeria's International Bulk Carrier and the operator – Greece's Secur Holdings.

"The Algerian owner leased the vessel to the Greek operator, which, in turn, confirmed that it will take full responsibility for holding talks with the pirates," reads the statement.

As of late January 3, attempts by the vessel's operator to contact the pirates had been unsuccessful. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is monitoring the case.

As reported, the Blida, a dry cargo ship with citizens of Ukraine, Algeria and the Philippines on board, was seized by pirates off the coast of Oman on January 1.