Nigerian militants have freed two Russians, abducted from a chemical tanker on July 4, the ambassador to Nigeria said on Wednesday.
"The hostages have been freed," Alexander Polyakov said.
The Sichem Peace was attacked by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) some 18 miles from Escravos in Nigeria. The militants seized six of the 19 crew members on board, including two Russians and one Ukrainian.
The attackers also abducted two Filipinos and an Indian. Earlier the militants pledged to release all six hostages, but official confirmation has yet to be received.
MEND, the main militant group in the Niger Delta, said in a statement the ship was attacked as it had ignored warnings to stay away.
The tanker, owned by Singapore`s EMS Ship Management, was built in 2005.
Abductions of foreigners are not uncommon in the West African state, particularly in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where locals complain that the impoverished region fails to benefit from its crude exports.
The groups behind the abductions often demand ransoms in addition to political declarations, and also carry out acts of sabotage on foreign facilities operating in the region.
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