Russia has started questioning the hijackers of its Arctic Sea freighter after the navy recovered the missing ship near the West African archipelago of Cape Verde.

Interrogation of the eight international hijackers has begun in Moscow after Russian warships ended weeks of drama behind the seizure of a commercial vessel gone missing in Swedish waters late in July.

The eight hijackers of Russian Latvian and Estonian nationalities, were flown to Moscow on Thursday in order to face their prosecutors for demanding ransom and threatening to blast the freighter.

Also on Thursday eleven out of the 15 crew members on the merchant ship landed in Moscow on a separate military carrier, leaving behind four of their colleagues for the maintenance of the sea-liner.

The Algeria-bound Russian ship was carrying timber when the alleged pirates wearing 'police' badges took control of the cargo ship.

Mystery surrounds the latest 'piracy' episode as early investigations describe the hijackers as 'environmentalists' seeking fuel for their astray vessel in a storm and have been detained by mistake.

Russian authorities have refrained to divulge further information about the motives behind the hijacking.

ARQN/DT