WARSAW - Somali pirates have released a German-owned cargo ship which was hijacked last month with a crew that reportedly included a Polish captain and 15 Filipino sailors, Poland's foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Ministry spokesman Piotr Paszkowski told AFP that, according to the Polish consul in Nairobi, the MV Patriot was released on May 15 and "is back at sea."

He refused to give any details on the circumstances of the ship's release or where it was headed.

Polish media, citing Kenyan authorities, said the crew included a Ukrainian engineer and 15 Filipino sailors.

The vessel, owned by Hamburg-based shipowner Blumenthal JMK, was seized in the Gulf of Aden in late April.