Send to Kindle
The MV Panega was hijacked by pirates even though it was part of an internationally guarded convoy. Photo by EU Navfor
The 15-member crew of the Bulgarian ship Panega, hijacked in May by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, arrived at Varna at 8 pm local time on Wednesday.
The Spartan military plane sent to bring back the sailors set off in the morning from Salala in Oman and after refueling in Egypt it was back to Varna Wednesday evening.
Most of the crew come from the Varna region. ???
On May 11, 2010, the MV Panega became the first ever Bulgaria-flagged ship to be hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
Last Thursday it was announced that pirates had released it, and that the crew is well and is taking over.
The ironic part of the story is that the ship was heading to be cut for scrap when it was hijacked.
After being freed, the ship sailded to the port of Salala in Oman, where the crew was replaced by 15 new Bulgarian sailors flewn with the plane that is to bring back the kidnapped crew.
They will sail the ship to India, where it will be scrapped.
Bulgarian sailors Lyubomir Chanev and Danail Veselinov have returned home after spending 14 months in captivity by the Yemeni Houthi rebel group
After over a year of captivity by the Yemeni Houthis rebels (Ansar Allah), Captain Lyubomir Chanev and Senior Mate Danail Veselinov have been released and are expected to return to Bulgaria today
Former journalist and current MEP, Elena Yoncheva, met with the two Bulgarian sailors from the ship Galaxy Leader, who have been held by the Houthis since November
Five Bulgarian sailors who were part of the crew aboard the hijacked ship "Ruen" have safely returned to Varna
At an extraordinary briefing held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel announced that all sailors aboard the hijacked Bulgarian cargo ship "Ruen" are in good health and currently aboard an Indian warship.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mariya Gabriel, provided reassurance regarding the condition of Bulgarians aboard the hijacked ships "Galaxy Leader" and "Ruen"
Bulgaria has temporarily evacuated its diplomatic mission from Tehran due to heightened security concerns in the Iranian capital
Two Bulgarian nationals have been safely evacuated from Iran following an operation led by the Embassy of Bulgaria in Tehran
The Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Sofia has issued an official statement regarding the recent rise in tensions in the Middle East
North Macedonia’s President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova openly criticized Bulgaria during a summit of the South East European Cooperation Process in Tirana
The Embassy of Turkey in Bulgaria reports a recent piece of misinformation circulating on social media. It also takes the chance to introduce the Center for Countering Disinformation
Bulgaria has received full support from Austria regarding its accession to the eurozone, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced following his meeting with Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker in Vienna.
Borderless Bulgaria: How Schengen Benefits Are Transforming Trade and Logistics
Bulgaria's Mortality Rate Remains Highest in Europe
