VLADIVOSTOK, October 11 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian Pacific Fleet warships guard a convoy of civil ships on their way in the Gulf of Aden.
Accompanied by the big anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev and the rescue tugboat Foty Krylov, the vessels flying flags of various countries are on the way in the special corridor to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a source of the Eastern Military District's press service told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
It is the first convoy guarded by the ships since they arrived to be on watch there.
The Admiral Panteleyev crew already has experience of fight against pirates. In 2009, the ship was in the second Pacific Fleet group on duty off the African coast.
Together with the tanker Izhora and the sea tugboat MB-37, it was on watch there for two months, and during the period, it guarded six convoys of more than 30 ships of various countries on the way across the dangerous waters. The Pacific Fleet sailors, while on duty there, also detained a group of 29 pirates.
The Pacific ships left Vladivostok for the Gulf of Aden on August 29 to participate in the international anti-piracy operation. On the trip to the Horn of Africa, they paid a friendly visit to the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville. In Russia's new history, it was the first visit by Russian Navy sailors to Cambodia. The visit was timed to coincide with the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and Cambodia.
Since 2009, it is the sixth group of the Pacific Fleet to participate in the international anti-piracy operation.
The big anti-submarine ship Admiral Vinogradov, a tugboat and the tanker Pechenega were on watch in the Gulf of Aden from December 22, 2010 to April 17, 2011. During the time they ensured safety in the corridor for 14 convoys of merchant ships from various countries.