MOSCOW, August 14 (RIA Novosti) - The situation around the missing Arctic Sea cargo ship that has reportedly been traced to a location outside Cape Verde is "dramatic," Russia's NATO envoy said on Friday.
The cargo ship with a Russian crew that went missing in the Atlantic late in July was spotted 840km (521 miles) off Cape Verde on Friday afternoon, the Associated Press earlier said citing the French Defense Ministry.
"The situation is developing quite dramatically there," Dmitry Rogozin said, adding that it was too early yet to assert anything.
The Russian Navy joined the search for the Arctic Sea on instructions of the country's president on Wednesday. Russia's frigate Ladny is currently heading toward Cape Verde in the western Atlantic, according to the Russian ambassador in the former Portuguese colony, Alexander Karpushin.
The Maltese-flagged Arctic Sea set off from Finland on July 23 carrying a large load of timber, and was due to arrive at the Algerian port of Bejaia on August 4.
The ship last made radio contact with British coastguards on July 28. According to Interpol the ship was briefly seized in the Baltic Sea by masked men claiming to be police on July 24. Reports state that after 12 hours the men left the ship and the Arctic Sea resumed its voyage.
Some media have speculated the ship could have been targeted because it was carrying an "unknown cargo" in addition to timber. However, the ship operator called the reports "rubbish."
