Marines from a Russian Navy destroyer, Admiral Kulakov, on Tuesday prevented a piracy incident in the Gulf of Guinea after responding to distress calls received from the Panama flagged vessel, MSC Lucia.
Luck ran out on the pirates’ attackers when the battle ready warship, an Udaloy-class destroyer, Akademik Pashin, arrived at the scene.
The supply tanker was escorting Vice-Admiral Kulakov when the distress call came in.
The vessel was on its way from Lome in Togo to Cameroon’s Douala.
Sources confirmed that the Russian Navy responded to the distress call from the Nigerian Naval personnel, engaged the criminals and put the situation under control.
A helicopter was also deployed from the destroyer during the incident.
The source noted that the MSC LUCIA crew had mustered in the engine room when the pirates boarded the vessel.
And as the helicopter approached the scene, the pirates disembarked the ship and made good their escape.
The vessel is now underway, heading towards her port of destination and escorted by a Russian Naval ship.
It Gulf of Guinea route is notorious for piracy activities.
Eons Intelligence said that “although incidents like these have been reduced by at least 70 per cent according to Nigerian Naval authorities due to increased patrol and surveillance, it seems as if renewed crisis in the sub-region is breeding a new generation of sea pirates.
“The West African Naval authorities have been advised to step up patrol around the corridor for the safety of all stakeholders.”