 The ship's owners claimed that they had not received any ransom demands.The security chief of Russian insurance agency Renaissance Insurance Group told Russian newspapers on 18 August that their office was telephoned on 3 August, and the caller claimed to be speaking on behalf of the hijackers, demanding €1.5 million or else the ship would be sunk and crew killed.On 18 August, the Russian defense minister stated that eight hijackers had been arrested.