24 Aug 2026
Zelensky thanks Erdoğan for helping evacuate Ukrainian sailors from Libya
The Ukrainians had been held in Libya since 2016.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for helping to evacuate Ukrainian sailors held in Libya since 2016.
"Glad to welcome our sailors, members of the Captain Khayyam tanker's crew, at home after 5 years of detention in Libya! Ukraine never forgets and doesn't leave its people in trouble. Special thanks to Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for helping to evacuate our citizens. Ukraine appreciates Turkey's support," Zelensky wrote on Twitter on January 8, 2021.
Background
In February 2016, the Libyan coast guard detained in the territorial waters the Captain Khayyam tanker flying the flag of Sierra Leone. Among the crew members were citizens of Ukraine, Turkey, and Azerbaijan.
In March 2016, the crew was arrested on suspicion of smuggling petroleum products.
Latest news
Latest newsThe United States Rapidly Expands Missile Production: Pentagon Accelerates Output of Tomahawks and Other Critical Weapons
24.Aug.2026
Record Supplies: Armenia Boosts Fish Exports to Georgia
23.Aug.2026
Political Battle During Wartime: Zelensky Opposes Elections
23.Aug.2026
Romania Approves Construction of One of the Largest Solar Power Plants in Europe
23.Aug.2026
Ex-Ukrainian Defence Minister Fails in Bid to Pressure Zelenskiy
22.Aug.2026
Upper Lars: Why Border Queues Have Become a Political Signal for Georgia and Russia
22.Aug.2026
Russia-Ukraine War: No Decisive Breakthrough on the Front and Intensifying Ukrainian Deep Strikes on Russia
21.Aug.2026
TRIPP, Peace, and a New Geopolitical Crossroads: How Armenia Has Changed One Year After Washington
20.Aug.2026
Tokayev Updates Kazakhstan Foreign Policy Concept: Astana Strengthens Its Strategic Multi Vector Approach
19.Aug.2026
Ukraine Turns Ground Robots into a New Tool in the Fight Against Russia
19.Aug.2026
Tehran Threatens a New Round of War After Talks With the US Collapse
18.Aug.2026
Drones Over Moldova: Accident or a New Threat to National Security?
17.Aug.2026
Spanish F-18 Fighter Jet Shoots Down Drone That Violated Romanian Airspace
17.Aug.2026
The Black Sea Becomes a Risk Zone: Can Turkiye Protect Key Trade Routes?
16.Aug.2026
Ukraine Intensifies Long-Range Strikes: Flamingo Missiles Hit a Rocket and Space Center and Airbase in Russia
15.Aug.2026