Russian Counter-Piracy Task Unit Formed in Med Sea

02.05.2012 Shaping of Russian Navy's interfleet anti-piracy task unit has been finished today in the Mediterranean Sea. The unit is headed by Northern Fleet (NF) destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov and includes Black Sea Fleet (BSF) supply vessels – tanker Ivan Bubnov and seagoing tug MB-304.

Within the next day, the unit will enter the Red Sea via the Suez Canal and lay a course for the Gulf of Aden to attend the anti-piracy mission in the region.

Destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov left NF main base Severomorsk on Apr 6. Through the cruise, the ship has already covered over 5,200 nautical miles. During the stay in the Mediterranean Sea, the Russian ship paid two formal calls at Spanish port Ceuta and Greek port Souda.

Calling at the Greek port, NF servicemen visited the international maritime operations training center, exchanged anti-piracy experience with foreign colleagues and held a number of practical drills.