Thread: Russians Storm Hijacked Ship

Russians Storm Hijacked Ship, Free Crew From Pirates









Lauren Frayer Contributor
AOL News



(May 6) -- Russian special forces stormed an imperiled oil tanker off the Horn of Africa and freed its crew this morning from Somali pirates who hijacked the vessel a day earlier.

The dramatic rescue comes after a 20-hour siege aboard the ship called Moscow University, a Liberian-flagged oil tanker bound for China carrying more than $50 million worth of crude oil.

Armed Somali pirates driving speed boats allegedly attacked the ship around dawn Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Somalia. The 23-member crew locked themselves in an engine room to protect themselves -- which also prevented the pirates from being able to drive the ship.

Accounts of that siege and today's rescue appear on the websites of the ship's owner, the Novorossiysk Shipping Company, or Novoship, as well as that of the European Union's naval force.

After the ship was hijacked, Russia dispatched one of its warships, the Marshal Shaposhnikov, to the area. When the warship got within view of the Moscow University, it sent out a helicopter to hover over the boat and investigate. It confirmed that the hijacked ship was disabled and wasn't moving.

Pirates fired their weapons up at the helicopter, and knowing that the ship's crew was locked in the engine room and wouldn't be caught in the crossfire, Russian troops fired back at the pirates, the EU naval force said. A gun battle ensued, and eventually the pirates surrendered. All of them were captured, and the crew was freed, the EU force said.

At one point during the battle, Russian special forces rappelled down onto the deck of the hijacked ship, The Associated Press reported.

"The pirates were unable to take a single hostage or command the ship," Novoship said. "The personnel of the Marshal Shaposhnikov performed their duties in the best traditions of Russian sailors," it said. "All members of the crew are alive and well."

Oil tankers like the Moscow University typically have safe rooms stocked with food, water and other supplies -- including communication equipment -- in case of attacks like this one. The crew was able to contact Russian and EU authorities for help from inside the engine room.

There have been other reports, however, that one of the Somali pirates was killed in the fighting. Russia's state-run RIA news agency is quoting an unnamed Russian defense ministry official as saying one pirate was killed and 10 were captured.

Piracy off the Horn of Africa has escalated in recent years and reached a peak in 2009, with Somalia accounting for more than half of that year's 406 attacks, according to the U.N. International Maritime Bureau. Somali pirates waged 217 attacks last year, hijacking 47 ships and taking 867 crew members hostage, the group said.

In recent months, naval authorities have stepped up rescue missions against vessels hijacked by Somali pirates. In February, Danish special forces forced pirates trying to hijack the ship Ariella to flee, while the ship's crew members similarly locked themselves in a secure room. EU Naval Force ships are also disrupting piracy in greater numbers, and American warships have also been involved in gun battles with pirates in recent weeks.

Alwasys nice to see the pirates get what they really have coming to them. Hope the world keeps going after them

GREAT!

All of the major naval powers need to work together to keep these shipping lanes open and protect cargo ships!