It still isn't clear exactly what happened to the Russian-crewed freighter Arctic Sea, which mysteriously disappeared in European waters last month. Inconsistencies and the implausibility of the official story — it was a hijacking — have prompted considerable speculation.
Those imaginings have been spurred by the visit to Russia of Israeli President Shimon Peres and the "disappearance" for one day of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who reportedly secretly visited Russia to discuss Iran. This incident sheds little light on Russia's relations with the Middle East, but has generated heated speculation in that regard.
The Arctic Sea is a Malta-flagged vessel that departed Finland on July 21 with more than a dozen Russian crew members and a cargo of timber worth about $1.8 million. A few days after departure, a group of men boarded the ship. It was first reported that they claimed to be environmentalists seeking shelter from a storm, but by the time they boarded the ship, they were wearing clothes and masks that identified them as police.