KIEV, June 23 (RIA Novosti) - A Ukrainian sailor is reported to have died on a Dutch vessel released by Somali pirates on Tuesday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The pirates seized the Netherlands Antilles-flagged MV Marathon, owned by Western Marine Transport NV and operated by the Dutch Cargadoor Amons & Co, with eight Ukrainians on board, on May 7.
"Only after the release of the crew, the captain was able to report the death of a welder, Sergei Vartenkov, who died during the initial hijacking of the vessel," the statement read.
There was no information on the cause of his death.
Somali pirates are still holding 26 Ukrainians from other ships, including 24 crewmembers of the Ariana cargo vessel and another two from the German container vessel Hansa Stavanger.
According to the UN, Somali pirates carried out at least 120 attacks on ships in 2008, resulting in combined ransom payouts of around $150 million.
