Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Russia has dispatched a warship to the coast of Somalia to fight piracy, the navy said, a day after Somali pirates seized a ship with Russian crew members.
The Russian warship Neustrashimy left the western port of Baltiisk two days ago, navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said in a faxed statement today. Russia ``will continue to send ships to areas where maritime piracy is a risk to defend the lives of Russian citizens and keep sea lanes safe,'' he said.
The Faina, a Belize-flagged vessel, has a crew of 17 Ukrainians, three Russians and a Latvian, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on its Web site. The ship has a cargo of 2,320 tons of spare parts for armored vehicles, said Andrew Mwangura, head of the piracy-monitoring Seafarers Assistance Programme based in Nairobi, Kenya.
Russian state broadcaster Vesti-24 reported today that the seized boat was carrying 33 Ukrainian T-72 tanks destined for Kenya. It cited an unidentified defense official.
0 comments