The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine has confirmed the Ukrainian citizenship of the captain, chief engineer and a guard on the Seaman Guard Ohio, a vessel that has been detained in India.
“Ukraine’s Embassy in India has confirmed that three citizens of Ukraine are on the ship: the captain, the chief engineer and a security guard. The identity of these citizens have been established,” director of the information policy department of the Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry Yevhen Perebyinis told Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, the Ukrainian consul in India talked with captain of the ship by phone, who reported that there are no threats to the life and health of the Ukrainian citizens, there are proper habitation conditions on the ship, and both crew and guards are sufficiently provided with food and water.
“The Indian police are now checking the documents permitting weapons on board,” Perebyinis said.
As reported, on the night between Oct. 11 and Oct. 12, the Indian Coast Guard detained the Seaman Guard Ohio in the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka. According to official sources, the ship was detained to check whether there were any weapons on board and whether they had the documents necessary for the shipment of its cargo.
The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine denied information from of the media that the vessel with Ukrainians onboard was carrying a cargo of weapons, and there were only authorized weapons on the ship.
