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Russia forces free oil tanker seized by Somali pirates
Russian forces have released the crew of a Russian oil tanker, Moscow University, seized by Somali pirates off the coast of Yemen on Wednesday.
File Photo
Russian warship Marshal Shaposhnikov approached the drifting tanker with 23 on board and laid siege to it before forces stormed it, reports say.
The tanker was captured in the Gulf of Aden as it sailed for China.
Owned by the Russian company Novoship, it is carrying some $50m (£33m) worth of crude oil.
The destroyer, with two helicopters and an infantry unit aboard, freed the tanker in a gun battle with the pirates, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported, citing a high-ranking naval source in the region.
There have been unconfirmed reports that one pirate was killed during the siege.
"Pirates have released the tanker... All crew on board the tanker are alive and well," a spokeswoman for the shipping company told Reuters news agency.
"During more than 20 hours of siege, pirates were not able to take a single member of crew hostage."
Novoship praised the operation as one carried out "in the best traditions of the Russian naval mariners".
The company said the crew were in a safe room that was inaccessible to the hijackers.
The decision to free the ship was made knowing "that the crew was under safe cover inaccessible to the pirates and that the lives and health of the sailors was not threatened by anything", Novoship added.
Russian defence ministry spokesman Col Alexei Kuznetsov said the pirates were being held aboard the tanker.
The Marshal Shaposhnikov was sent on Wednesday to rescue the hijacked tanker.
BBC News - Russia forces free oil tanker seized by Somali pirates
Russian forces have released the crew of a Russian oil tanker, Moscow University, seized by Somali pirates off the coast of Yemen on Wednesday.
File Photo
Russian warship Marshal Shaposhnikov approached the drifting tanker with 23 on board and laid siege to it before forces stormed it, reports say.
The tanker was captured in the Gulf of Aden as it sailed for China.
Owned by the Russian company Novoship, it is carrying some $50m (£33m) worth of crude oil.
The destroyer, with two helicopters and an infantry unit aboard, freed the tanker in a gun battle with the pirates, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported, citing a high-ranking naval source in the region.
There have been unconfirmed reports that one pirate was killed during the siege.
"Pirates have released the tanker... All crew on board the tanker are alive and well," a spokeswoman for the shipping company told Reuters news agency.
"During more than 20 hours of siege, pirates were not able to take a single member of crew hostage."
Novoship praised the operation as one carried out "in the best traditions of the Russian naval mariners".
The company said the crew were in a safe room that was inaccessible to the hijackers.
The decision to free the ship was made knowing "that the crew was under safe cover inaccessible to the pirates and that the lives and health of the sailors was not threatened by anything", Novoship added.
Russian defence ministry spokesman Col Alexei Kuznetsov said the pirates were being held aboard the tanker.
The Marshal Shaposhnikov was sent on Wednesday to rescue the hijacked tanker.
BBC News - Russia forces free oil tanker seized by Somali pirates
