Russia ready to continue anti-piracy mission in Gulf of Aden

A new Russian naval task force will arrive on Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden to continue the ongoing anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast, a Defense Ministry spokesman said. The task force from the Pacific Fleet includes the Udaloy class Admiral Panteleyev missile destroyer, the Butoma supply tanker and the Fotiy Krylov salvage tugboat. "The ships are sailing in the Indian Ocean at present. The crew is healthy, and the equipment and armaments are in order," the official said. The previous Russian task force led by the Udaloy class Severomorsk destroyer from the Northern Fleet concluded its anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden in mid-September and set sail for its home base in northern Russia. The task force stayed in the area from 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 Russian Navy has maintained a presence off the Somali coast since October 2008, with warships operating on a rotating basis. Admiral Panteleyev carried out its previous anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden from late April to early June, 2009.