A missing cargo ship with 15 Russian crew members on board has reportedly been spotted more than two weeks after it mysteriously disappeared.

The Arctic Sea was last sighted in the Bay of Biscay on 30 July, according to Russian media.

One source said that it had been seen some 400 miles from the Cape Verde islands, off West Africa, the BBC reported.

Russian navy ships have been searching for the 4 000-tonne Maltese-flagged vessel, which had been carrying timber.

Observers have suggested the ship was hijacked, possibly because of a Russian commercial dispute.

Carrying timber reportedly worth USD 1.8 M, it sailed from Finland and had been scheduled to dock in the Algerian port of Bejaia on 4 August.

Earlier in its voyage, the ship reported being boarded by up to 10 armed men as it sailed through the Baltic Sea on 24 July, but said the intruders left the vessel on an inflatable boat after 12 hours.

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