Russian destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov of Udaloy class together with a Northern Fleet’s task force is scheduled to arrive in the Gulf of Aden in the beginning of May with a mission of contributing international activities on anti-piracy off the Somali coast, Ria Novosti informed.
The destroyer will take over duty from the Admiral Tributs destroyer, which completed its task and escorted five convoys of commercial ships since it arrived to the Gulf on January 12, accompanied by the Pechenega tanker and a rescue tugboat.
Before arrival to the Gulf, the destroyer will make a one stop at the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia on May 2-5 for water and food supply. It is said that the task force will be aided by a military investigator on board, certified in the international maritime law. Since 2008, when Russia decided to form part of the international anti-piracy mission in the region, Russian warships thwarted various pirate attacks and escorted over 130 commercial ships to safe waters.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , April 12, 2012; Image: mil