Petr Veliky performed search operation in Indian Ocean

26.04.2010 Having passed the Gulf of Aden, Russian heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky carried out search operation on Saturday; presumably, there were pirate vessels, informs RIA Novosti.

The cruiser's crew noticed a fishing vessel encircled by small boats. When the crew was alerted, Petr Veliky ordered the fishing ship to drift with a view to conduct search. Motorboat and cutter were dropped form the cruiser for that purpose.

"We searched the fishing vessel. Supposedly, that was a pirate mother ship because of a number of small boats around. However, neither suspicious things nor evidence of illegal activities were found", said Capt 2 rank Felix Menkov, the cruiser's commanding officer.

He mentioned that the fishermen had taken the search operation appropriately. No incidents happened; both fishermen and search team were polite.

"Anyways, it's always better to make sure they're not pirates than watch them capturing merchant ships; the task would be tangled then. The search team operated skillfully; we had practiced all things like that. Today we proved once again that the cruiser is ready to conduct such activities", said Menkov.

As it was reported, Petr Veliky is capable to accomplish any unexpected anti-piracy task wherever in the World Ocean; the cruiser's equipment and the crew are fully prepared for that.

Heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Veliky is a flagship of Northern Fleet; the ship sailed off Naval Base Severomorsk on March 30 to participate in large-scale ocean exercise along with Russian task force. Port calls and joint drills with Russian partners are scheduled during the cruise.

Petr Veliky is the world's biggest non-carrying warship. The cruiser is designed for destruction of large sea surface targets, antiaircraft and antisubmarine defense of naval formations in distant regions of the World Ocean.