Ukraine Sends Frigate to Fight Piracy

05.09.2012 Flagship of Ukrainian Navy, frigate Getman Sagaidachny will be dispatched to Somalia to attend the international anti-piracy operation, reports UNIAN referring to Oleg Voloshin, officer of Ukrainian foreign ministry.

According to him, the ship will be sent to counter Somali pirates in 2013.

Earlier on, the information that Getman Sagaidachny would take part in the anti-piracy campaign was provided by Andrei Kluyev, Secretary of Ukrainian Security Council. According to New Region, the official pointed out that a Ukrainian naval patrol airplane would be dispatched to attend EU Operation Atalanta even in 2012, and in the next year it was planned to send the Ukrainian Navy's flagship there with a deck-based helicopter and marine team on board under the NATO Operation Ocean Shield.

Decision of Ukrainian Security Council to contribute in the international anti-piracy efforts was made as early as 2010, during the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko. According to Kommersant-Ukraina referred to Ukrainian Navy's press service, deployment of Getman Sagaidachny to Somalia would cost about $5.5 mln. As was said, it would take somewhat 2 weeks to reach the destination.

Project 11351 frigate Getman Sagaidachny was put afloat in 1992 and took part in international exercises many times. The ship is armed with 100-mm gun mount AK-100, Osa-MA2 SAM system, mine/torpedo/antisubmarine arms, and Ka-27PS shipborne helicopter.

International military patrols in Somali territorial waters were sanctioned by UN Security Council and started in 2008 due to frequent pirate attacks in the region. The operations are led by EU and NATO.