Second group of sailors leaves the tanker Unity detained off the coast of India

Second group of crew members leaves the vessel

Six Russians and one Kazakhstani will leave the tanker Unity, detained off the coast of India, on November 3. This was reported to TASS by the Russian Consulate General in Kolkata. According to the diplomats, the first group of seven sailors has already returned home safely, while the remaining nine crew members — eight Russians and one Egyptian — are waiting for a new crew, which the Indian side will select through a tender.

What is known about the fate of the tanker

The tanker was sailing under the flag of Cameroon; of the 23 crew members, 21 were Russian citizens. Indian authorities detained the vessel on May 11 near the port of Paradip due to commercial and financial disputes between companies from the UAE. It is currently anchored not far from Paradip. Responding to a question about the vessel's future, the Consulate General said that, according to their information, the tanker has been declared abandoned by its owners by an Indian court and has been taken over by the local side. In September the ship's captain reported that the Unity had survived a severe storm, and none of the sailors were injured.

Gradual evacuation of the crew

The sailors' return is proceeding in stages: back on October 30 it was reported that the first group from the tanker would be sent from India to Russia, and, according to the Consulate General, this group has already returned home. Thus, of the 23 people on board at the time of the detention, nine crew members will remain on the vessel after November 3 — until the arrival of a replacement crew to be selected by the Indian side through a tender.