Russian navy arrests eight 'pirates' who seized the cargo ship Arctic Sea

Following the arrests, which took place on board the ship, Anatoly Serdyukov, the Russian defence minister, has given more details of events surrounding the mystery vessel and its diversion to west Africa by the hijackers.

"These people, after claiming that their boat was not working, boarded the Arctic Sea and using the threat of arms, demanded that the crew follow all of their orders without condition," he said.

"Then the Arctic Sea moved on to an African route indicated by the aggressors to after turning off navigation equipment."

Mr Serdyukov added that the operation to rescue the crew was accomplished without a shot being fired.

"Eight people - not members of the crew - have been detained," he said.

The suspects, who boarded the ship in Swedish waters, include four Estonian citizens, two Latvians and two Russian nationals.

The missing cargo freighter was found by a Russian warship off the coast of the Cape Verde islands west Africa on Monday. At that time the ship was not "under the armed control" of hijackers or pirates.