Georgia releases cargo ship with Russian crew

Georgian coast guards have released a cargo ship with a crew of 14 Russians on board, the Sovfracht maritime bulletin said on Thursday.

The V. Uspensky ship was en route from Turkey to the port of Azov, on the Don River in southern Russia`s Rostov Region, when a group of 13 armed Georgian coast guards boarded it late on Monday, on suspicion of navigation violations. The ship was sailing under the Cambodian flag.

"At 6:45 p.m. on April 8 the ship was released and at 8:15 p.m. it set sail from the port of Batumi and is now en route to its destination at the port of Azov," the bulletin said.

The V. Uspensky, with a deadweight of 5,379 metric tons, is operated by the Volgo-Don Shipping company, based in Rostov-on-Don.

The Volgo-Don Shipping Company confirmed the ship had been released.

sections: World News