Russian warships patrol international convoys in Gulf of Aden

MOSCOW, August 6 (Itar-Tass) - Warships of the Russian Pacific Fleet
on Wednesday patrolled an international convoy of ships in the pirate
threatened areas off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden, the Russian
Navy press service reports.
"A squadron of the Russian Pacific Fleet warships led by the Admiral
Tributs anti-submarine ship has completed the escort of a convoy of ships
via pirate-threatened areas near the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden,"
a Russian Navy representative told Itar-Tass.
"The Russian ships patrolled the passage of a tanker that flies a
Liberian flag and has 26 Russian crewmen onboard and of a carrier ship
that flies the flag of Gibraltar whose crew comprises six Russian
nationals and five Ukrainians," the Russian Navy press service said.
That was the third squadron of Russian Pacific Fleet warships. It
arrived in the Gulf of Aden on July 29. The squadron includes the Admiral
Tributs anti-submarine ship, the Boris Butoma tanker and a rescue tug 'SB-
99' under the flag of Rear Admiral Sergei Alekminsky. Marines of the
Russian Pacific Fleet are onboard these ships.
The first squadron of Russian warship included the Admiral Vinogradov
anti-submarine ship, the Fotiy Krylov tugboat and the Boris Butoma and
Pechenega tankers. They patrolled international ship convoys in the first
quarter of 2009.
The second squadron consisting of the Admiral Pantelyev anti-submarine
ship, the MB-37 rescue tug and the Izhora and Irkut tankers took part in
an international operation in the Gulf of Aden from late April till early
June 2009.

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