"Everyone has returned ... They are home already," the source said, adding that two sailors arrived in Moscow the day before, from where they travelled to the cities of Murmansk and Vladivostok, and the third Russian flew directly to St. Petersburg.
Earlier, a source said that the sailors were expected to undergo a medical examination upon their return to Russia, including psychological counselling.
A multipurpose cargo vessel belonging to German company MarConsult Schiffahrt, the Marmalaita, which sails under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, was attacked by pirates off the coast of Cameroon on 15 August. The pirates abducted eight out of the total 12 crew members, including three Russians.
After the kidnapping incident, the Russian Seamen's Union called for the creation of an international independent anti-piracy organisation with the support of the United Nations. Over the past year, several armed attacks on merchant ships have occurred in the Gulf of Guinea, including crew abductions.