RUSSIA’S embassy to North Korea “expressed bewilderment” yesterday over the seizure of a sailing yacht and demanded the release of its three crew.

Embassy spokesman Denis Samsonov told the Tass news agency the yacht Katalexa was 50 miles off the North Korean coast in the Sea of Japan when it was impounded on Thursday for allegedly violating territorial waters.

The regional Yachting Sport Federation said it was being towed from Taiwan to Russky Island off Vladivostok.