Russian kidnap victims freed
A group of Russian and Ukrainian contractors have been released by kidnappers in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
A spokesman for the Russian government said the men were released earlier today but declined to offer any further details.
The workers – three Russians and five Ukrainians – were seized by insurgents yesterday.
Unconfirmed reports suggest the men were freed when their captors realised where they were from.
The Russian government was opposed to the US-led invasion of Iraq and has since put pressure on the coalition to hand over power to the Iraqi people.
The kidnapping comes as the security situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate. Coalition troops have been involved in fighting with rebels from both the Sunni and Shia communities over the Easter weekend.
Earlier today an American Apache helicopter crashed after being hit by a rocket near Fallujah. The US military said that all crewmembers had been accounted for.
Seven Chinese men seized by kidnappers on Sunday were freed yesterday. Reports suggest the men were taken by mistake – with their captors wrongly believing they were Japanese.
However, the fate of three Japanese hostages taken last week remains unclear. Reports this morning suggested that the trio were still alive despite repeated threats from the rebel group holding them to kill them if Japanese troops are not withdrawn from Iraq.
