The 10 pirates were captured last week after seizing a Russian oil tanker but were then unexpectedly released, with Russian officials saying there was insufficient legal basis to keep them in detention....
...The Interfax news agency said after their release the Russian navy put the pirates in a boat some 300 nautical miles (556 kilometres) offshore, removing all weaponry and navigational equipment from the vessel
Translation - they were set adrift in a boat and used for target practice.
Did anyone
really think the Russians were going just to let them go in complete contravention of their SOPs for the last, oooh, 600-odd years? They've merely appreciated that the current media environment demands that the poor pirates die in a tragic accident away from the ship, rather than being shot and dumped overboard...
Rule one of international relations - Don't
with the Russians...