Russia has dispatched two more of its warships to the Gulf of Aden to join the international anti-piracy force deployed there to fight the escalating piracy problem in the region, reported the state news agency on Friday.
"The ships will shortly pass through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. Later the two large landing ships will cross the Suez Canal and set off for the coast of Somalia to fight the local pirates," the RIA Novosti news agency report said, citing a Russian defense ministry source.
The report also identified the two Russian ships as Yamal and the Azov, two large landing ships capable of transporting large quantities of vehicles and troops on shore.
Earlier, Russia had replaced warship Neustrashimy, which had been deployed off the Horn of Africa since the end of October, with Pacific Fleet destroyer the Admiral Vinogradov on 7th January.
The Gulf of Aden has been affected by piracy in the recent months and more than forty pirate attacks have been reported in the waters off Somalia since the beginning of 2008. Generally, the crew and the vessels are returned unharmed on receiving the demanded ransom.
The recent escalation in the number of pirate attacks off the Somali coast has forced various countries, including EU member states, NATO members, India, China and Russia, to deploy their naval vessels in the region to protect cargo and cruise ships against piracy. Japan is also considering sending its warships to the Somali coast to join the international anti-piracy force there.
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