The key facts
- Seven more crew members of the Unity tanker have arrived in Russia; the plane landed in Mineralnye Vody
- Earlier, according to the consulate general in Kolkata, six Russians and a citizen of Kazakhstan were to leave the vessel on November 3
- The tanker was arrested on May 11 due to financial claims against the shipowner and remains anchored near the port of Paradip
Second group of crew members returns home
Seven more crew members of the Unity tanker, which was arrested in India, have arrived in Russia: the plane carrying the sailors landed in Mineralnye Vody. A girlfriend of one of the crew members told TASS about this, adding that her boyfriend would reach Rostov-on-Don by around 20:00 Moscow time and that she would go to the station to meet him. Life.ru reports on the group's return.
Context: who left the vessel and when
Earlier, the Russian consulate general in Kolkata reported that on November 3 six Russians and a citizen of Kazakhstan, who had spent several months on board, would leave the vessel. This was not the first return: Life.ru previously reported on the return of the first group of sailors from the Unity. According to the outlet, the Indian side made no claims against the crew, but demanded that a replacement crew arrive before allowing the sailors to leave the vessel.
What is known about the vessel's arrest
The Unity tanker, flying the flag of Cameroon, was arrested on May 11 due to financial claims against the shipowner. The plaintiff and the defendant are registered in the UAE, and the dispute is being considered by the High Court of the Indian state of Odisha. The vessel remains anchored near the port of Paradip. The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that 20 Russians were on the detained tanker. The publication contains no information about the fate of the remaining crew members or the timeline for resolving the dispute.
