Somalia

Russian navy captures Somali pirates, two ships released

Article published on the 2009-02-13 Latest update 2009-02-13 11:16 TU

Suspected pirates detained by the US navy Thursday, apprehended after trying to board an Indian ship
(Photo: Reuters)

A Russian navy vessel has detained ten suspected Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, off the cost of Somalia, according to a navy spokesman. The nuclear-powered Pyotr Veliky (Peter the Great) captured three vessels full of arms Thursday, and detained the ten men on board.

"The nuclear cruiser Pyotr Veliky has detained three small boats on which were ten pirates, citizens of Somalia, who were arrested,” Igor Dygalo, a Russian navy spokesperson, told the AFP news agency. The boats were identified by the ship’s helicopter, south-east of the island Yemen’s Socotra island, in the Gulf of Aden.

The navy confiscated automatic rifles, grenade launchers, landmines and a satellite navigation system on board, along with some drugs, according to Dygalo.

The US Navy said it arrested nine suspected pirates on Thursday, after responding to a distress call from an Indian vessel which was under attack.

The US and Russian navies, along with navies from other countries, patrol the sea around the Horn of Africa, to help deter pirates who target merchant ships sailing between Europe and Asia.

On Thursday a Japanese-owned ship carrying some 20,000 tonnes of petrol products that had been hijacked three months ago was released after a ransom was delivered.

The crew of 18 Filipinos and five South Koreans was unharmed.

And the crew of a Ukrainian ship released by its Somali captors last week arrived in Kiev Friday. The 17 Ukrainians, two Russians and one Latvian who had been held for 19 weeks on board the MV Faina were greeted at the airport by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.

The ship docked Thursday in the port of Mombasa, Kenya, to unload its cargo: 33 refurbished Soviet-era T-72 tanks and at least 14,000 rounds of ammunition.

Kenya has said the shipment was for its armed forces, but some experts and diplomats in the region have alleged that it was destined for South Sudan. Others said this was the fifth such delivery in less than two years.

The Kenyan deputy Defence Minister David Musilaboth, who was in Mombasa Thursday, reiterated that it was a legal military transaction between Ukraine and Kenya.

"There have been allegations that the cargo is not Kenyan but we wish to reaffirm once again that this is the property of the Kenyan government," said Musilaboth.

Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Mikola Malomuzh, also said the weapons were to be legally delivered to Kenya.

The pirates received a 3.2 million dollar ransom (4.5 million euros) to release the ship.

Russian military prosecutors are investigating, and say it is up to the Russian Foreign and Justice Ministries to determine the fate of the pirates.