Russian Warship Ends Anti-Piracy Mission Off Somali Coast

MOSKOW-(IDB) : A Russian task force from the Northern Fleet led by the destroyer Severomorsk has concluded its anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden and set sail for its home base, the fleet's press service said on Tuesday.

The task force, which includes a tanker and a rescue tugboat, arrived in the area on June 17 and has successfully escorted eleven convoys consisting of 38 commercial vessels from various countries along the shipping routes in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

"The ship [Severomorsk] has escorted its last convoy and is heading to the Mediterranean Sea," the press service said in a statement. "A task force from Russia's Pacific Fleet will soon arrive in the region to continue the mission."

The Severomorsk will visit the Syrian port of Tartus and the Spanish exclave of Ceuta on the coast of North Africa on the way home. The ship is expected to arrive at the base in Severomorsk in mid-October.

The Russian Navy has maintained a presence off the Somali coast since October 2008, with warships operating on a rotating basis.

Source: Defencetalk