The Russian embassy in North Korea said on Sunday that the Russian Xianghailin-8 fishing vessel, detained by North Korean border guards, has been released.
"On July 27, Xianghailin-8 was released due to the coordinated work of the Russian Foreign Ministry," the statement said.
On July 17, North Korean border guards detained the Xianghailin-8 and escorted it to the port city of Wonsan with 17 crew members on board. North Korea said that the vessel was detained for illegally crossing the country's water borders.
Meanwhile, the shipowner said the vessel had sailed along its usual route and had not crossed the 12-mile zone. The Russian Federal Agency for Fishery said that the seizure was illegal.