You're reading: Swedish ship with Ukrainian aboard escapes pirates

The Swedish tanker Gotland Sofia with one Ukrainian aboard has evaded capture by pirates off the coast of Benin in West Africa.

The vessel was attacked by pirates on July 31, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Oleksandr Dykusarov said at a briefing on Tuesday.

"The crew managed to barricade themselves in one of the compartments and remained in control of the ship," he said.

According to Dykusarov, none of the crew was injured.

Meanwhile, western media reported that pirates boarded the tanker but didn’t manage to get into the safe room. According to reports, a Benin navy vessel came to the aid of the ship after the crew reported the attack and scared off the pirates.