Russian destroyer leaves Somali coast
Northern Fleet’s destroyer ”Severomorsk” has finished its anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden is now heading back to home base outside Murmansk.
“Severomorsk” has escorted 38 vessels during its three months mission off the Somali coast. According to the Northern Fleet’s press service the vessel has escorted its eleventh and last convoy and is now heading for the Mediterranean, ITAR-TASS reports.
The destroyer will make two port visits on the way back to Northern Russia – to the Syrian port of Tartus and to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta on the African side of the Strait of Gibraltar.
“Severomorsk” should reach its home base Severomorsk in the second half of October. Vessels from the Pacific Fleet now takes over Russia’s patrolling of the pirate-hunted waters in the Gulf of Aden.
The Russian Navy has maintained a presence off the Somali coast since October 2008, with warships operating on a rotation basis. In 2010 the Northern Fleet’s destroyer “Admiral Chabanenko” and “Admiral Levchenko” participated in different task forces in the area.
According to the International Maritime Organization, The number of acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships reported to the Organization and which occurred in 2010 was 489, against 406 during the previous year. Two crew members were killed and 30 crew members were reportedly injured/assaulted, while 1,027 crew members were reportedly taken hostage or kidnapped. Fifty-seven vessels were reportedly hijacked, with one vessel reportedly still unaccounted for.
