Russia is ready to escalate anti-piracy efforts

07.12.2009
Russia is ready to expand its military presence near Somalia to continue anti-piracy mission, stated Dmitry Rogozin, Russian Ambassador to NATO concluding session of NATO-Russia Council held on Dec 4 in Brussels.

Next year Russia will not participate in Active Endeavour NATO anti-terror operation in the Mediterranean, although will detach combat ships and probably naval aviation to Somali region. However, Ministry of Defense is to make final decision, underlined Mr. Rogozin.

Nowadays Russia is represented in the region with task unit led by Northern Fleet's large ASW ship Admiral Chabanenko. On Dec 1 the unit started mission on enhancing navigation security near Horn of Africa; on Dec 4 it began escorting first convoy consisting of 7 vessels through the Gulf of Aden and on Dec 8 it will escort convoy in the opposite direction.

The source in Baltic Fleet HQ has previously said frigate Neustrashimy had sailed to the Atlantic and would probably keep its second anti-piracy watch at Somali coast.

Neustrashimy was the first Russian combat ship deployed for counter-piracy mission. It had been performing tasks on enhancing navigation security there since Oct 2008 till Jan 2009. In January 2009 the frigate was shifted by Pacific Fleet's large ASW ship Admiral Vinogradov; it has been taking part in anti-piracy until March 2009. In April Admiral Vinogradov had been changed by large ASW ship Admiral Panteleev returned back to Vladivostok in June. After that the watch in the Gulf of Aden since July till Oct was kept by large ASW ship Admiral Tributs. On November 16 it returned to Vladivostok. Since January till now PF combat ships have escorted over 100 Russian and foreign ships, prevented several pirates' attempts to capture vessels.

According to International Maritime Bureau, since Jan 1 till Oct 20, 2009 there were 327 pirate attacks worldwide, 37 vessels were captured and 639 men held hostages. During same period of 2008, those numbers were 194, 36 and 631 correspondingly. In the Gulf of Aden and east coast Somalia since Jan 1 till Oct 20, 2009 174 attacks occurred, 35 vessels were hijacked and 587 men held hostages.

Over ten percent of the world's maritime traffic and about one third of the world's shipment of crude is carried out through the Gulf of Aden. Every year around 20,000 vessels pass that region. Around 30 ships from more than 15 countries are currently patrolling the area near Horn of Africa.

Source: RusNavy.com, photo: Dmitry Rogozin (rferl.org)