The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States said on Friday that Ukrainians were part of the crew aboard the Russian-flagged tanker Bella-1 which was seized by U.S. troops this week.

Olha Stefanishyna was quoted by Interfax Ukraine as saying that Ukrainian diplomats are in contact with U.S. officials to ensure consular access for crew members.

Stefanishyna,?quote as saying: "The embassy has the situation in control and is using all necessary methods to maintain contact with Ukrainian citizens."

This week, the Bella-1 was seized by the North Atlantic. It had been renamed to the Marinera and registered as a Russian ship. In recent weeks, the U.S. seized five vessels as part of its efforts to "curb Venezuelan crude oil exports". The Olina was taken in the Caribbean last Friday.

The 'Russian Foreign Ministry' announced on Friday that two Russian crewmembers from the Marinera had been released by the United States. It expressed its gratification to Washington and promised to return the crew members to their home countries.

The Russian Transport Ministry announced on Wednesday that it had lost communication with the Marinera following the U.S. Navy's board of it near Iceland. Reporting by Ron Popeski Editing and rewriting by Rod Nickel

(source: Reuters)