The key facts

  • The second group of sailors from the Unity tanker has arrived in Russia; the rest of the group are still on their way
  • The first group of the crew was repatriated at the end of October
  • The tanker was detained by India in May over a commercial dispute; the vessel lacked food and spare parts

Second group has returned, part of it still on the way

The second group of sailors from the Unity tanker, which was detained off the coast of India, has arrived in Russia. The girlfriend of one of the sailors told RIA Novosti about this: according to her, sailor Oleg has landed in Russia, while the rest of the second group are still on their way, as they flew out later. Gazeta.Ru reports on the return.

How the crew returned home

The repatriation is proceeding in stages: at the end of October, the first group returned to Russia of crew members. Before that, the Russian consulate general in Kolkata reported that the tanker had survived a severe storm: the captain said the vessel was drifting toward the shore, but the situation was stabilizing.

What was happening on board

India detained the Unity tanker with a Russian crew in May over a commercial dispute, and the sailors were unable to leave it for several months. According to reports, the vessel lacked spare parts, the crew was periodically left without electricity, and in July the sailors reported an acute shortage of food. New Delhi assured that it was aware of the problem. Details on what prevented the sailors from returning home and how Russia responded to the situation were examined by the outlet in a separate article.