Somali pirates who have been holding a Ukrainian ship with military weapons on board have announced their intention to immediately release the ship along with its 20 crew members.

Andrew Mwangura, East Africa's Coordinator of Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP) said the pirates may very soon release the MV Faina which was captured in September with its 20-man crew and a cargo of Soviet-era T-72 tanks.

"We have heard that the pirates are willing to release the ship. This may be possible because the pirates are in direct contacts with the ship owners," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone on Tuesday.

The development came after Ukraine's foreign ministry urged the owner of the Faina vessel to publicly report on progress made in the talks to free the crew.

The Ukrainian ministry said the ship owner is in talks with the pirates and is informed of the details of the negotiations.

The MV Faina is currently moored off Somalia's coast close to the town of Hobyo. There have been conflicting reports of where the Faina and its cargo were destined.

Kenya has insisted that the shipment was destined for its military. But regional diplomats said it was bound for the autonomous government of south Sudan, in possible contravention of a peace accord.

The waters off the Somali coast are considered to be some of the world's most dangerous. Pirates have hijacked several ships last year and attacked many more.

Most attacks have been in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and north Somalia, a major route leading to the Suez Canal linking Europe and Asia.

(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2009)