Apparently paid off, Pirates Release Ukrainian Ship Seized Near Somalia

It may be proof that piracy pays here:

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has said that pirates freed a Ukrainian cargo ship seized nearly 40 days ago off the coast of Somalia.

The Foreign Ministry announced today that the ship's 22 crewmembers are safe after being freed late on 26 November.

It was not immediately clear if the $700,000 ransom demanded by the pirates had been paid, although officials in Kyiv had previously said the Ukrainian owners of the vessel were prepared to pay.

The US and Europe used to pay off the Barbary pirates, too...