Lithuanian seamen detained in Russia to be freed soon, says PM

Members of a Lithuanian fishing vessel detained in Russia will be released tomorrow, Lithuania's Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius has said.

Moscow says the vessel was fishing unlawfully in Russian waters when it was detained on September 18. Lithuania has said it was in international waters.

"Lithuanian consul left from Saint Petersburg to Murmansk. We have received a note from Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry saying that the ship will be detained until the 25th [September]. The note talks about administrative violations. We have no further information, however, what is most important, we received the first official document," Butkevicius told the national radio LRT. 

The vessel was detained on September 18, after analyzing satellite system data it transpired that the ship was in international waters on 17-18 September.

Satellite systems recorded only one instance when the vessel sailed too far into the Russian waters on 8 September and remained there for an hour. Russian authorities have not made claims regarding this.