Russian task group completes counter-piracy ops in the Gulf of Guinea

The Russian Northern Fleet’s naval task force finished its mission to provide security for ships in the Gulf of Guinea off the western African coast on November 1, according to the Fleet’s press office.

“The Northern Fleet’s task force comprised of the large anti-submarine destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov, the medium sea tanker Akademik Pashin and the rescue tug Altai has accomplished its missions of providing security for shipping in the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean,” the press office said in a statement.

The counter-piracy patrol by the Russian Navy off the African coast lasted nearly four weeks. On October 25, the crew of Vice Admiral Kulakov, an anti-submarine destroyer, foiled an attempt by an unidentified armed gang to seize the Lucia, a Panama-flagged container ship going from Togo to Cameroon. The Russian naval sailors provided a safe escort for the Lucia through pirate-infested waters and inspected other civil vessels during their anti-piracy patrol, according to the press office.

The large anti-submarine warfare ship Vice-Admiral Kulakov embarked on its long-distance deployment with its departure from the Northern Fleet’s main naval base of Severomorsk on June 28. The warship’s crew participated in Russia’s Main Naval Parade off Kronshtadt, following which it practiced particular episodes of its operations in the Atlantic in the course of command and staff drills for the Northern Fleet’s troops and forces.

The Northern Fleet’s mariners also accomplished tasks in the Mediterranean, held drills for various types of defense for a group of warships in transit by sea, and practiced hunting down a notional enemy’s submarine. The Vice-Admiral Kulakov has covered about 22,000 nautical miles and visited the ports of five foreign states since it embarked on its deployment in distant waters.

Check out Naval Library App to find out the specifications of the Udaloy-class destroyers.