Doubts Remain Over Russia's 'Rescue' Of Arctic Sea

Eight 'pirates' of Russian, Latvian and Estonian nationality have been arrested for the hijacking of the cargo ship Arctic Sea. Photo: AP

Russia Says Arctic Sea Hijackers Demanded Ransom, Threatened To Blow Up Ship -- Christian Science Monitor

Russian authorities say the case of the missing cargo ship has a straightforward explanation, but many in Europe still speculate something else happened.

There's no mystery behind the hijacking of the Arctic Sea, the Russian-crewed cargo ship that touched off a frantic Russian naval hunt and a round of conspiracy theories, say Russian officials.

On Wednesday, Russian state news agencies quoted a Defense Ministry official as saying that eight hijackers who were detained on Monday had threatened to blow up the ship and its crew if a ransom of $1.5 million wasn't paid. He said the hijackers, who appear to have taken control of the ship shortly after it left Finland, and the crew continue to be questioned.

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More News On The Hijacking Of The Arctic Sea

Eight 'pirates' arrested over ship hijack but questions remain -- The Telegraph
Doubts remain over Russia’s ‘rescue’ of Arctic Sea -- The Statesman
Pirates, Drugs, Russian Nukes? An Irresistible Debate Turns Serious -- The Atlantic
Arctic Sea may have just been a simple case of piracy...or not? - Deutsche Welle

My Comment: The Russians are probably right. This was a straight forward hijacking attempt .... and it was thwarted by hard work, intelligence, and having the necessary team ready to board the ship and to arrest the hijackers.

Is there more to the story .... probably not. But it will make a great book or movie.