Russian Navy Destroyer Fends Off Pirate Attack on Container Ship
A Russian Navy destroyer has fended off a pirate attack on a container ship near the western coast of Africa, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
Destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov received a distress signal from Panama-registered container ship Lucia en route from Togo to Cameroon on Monday, the ministry said in a statement, and dispatched a unit of marines on a helicopter to it.
The pirates immediately fled, allowing Russian soldiers to free the ship's crew.
The Russian destroyer was part of a group patrolling the Gulf of Guinea to ensure the security of civilian navigation.
(Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)