Russian warship visits Seychelles

An Udaloy class destroyer from the Russian Pacific Fleet has arrived at the port of Victoria in Seychelles on a goodwill visit, the fleet’s spokesman said. The Admiral Tributs, which is currently carrying out an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden, will stay in Seychelles until March 5. “The visit will culminate with a drill on rescuing a commercial vessel seized by pirates,” Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said. “The exercise will involve a unit of Russian naval infantry.” The Russian Pacific Fleet’s task force, which comprises the Admiral Tributs, the Pechenega tanker and a rescue tugboat, arrived in the Gulf of Aden on January 12 and escorted several convoys of commercial ships since then. Task forces from the Russian Navy, usually led by Udaloy class destroyers, operate in the area on a rotating basis. Russian warships have successfully escorted more than 130 commercial vessels from various countries through pirate-infested waters off the Somali coast since 2008, when Russia joined the international anti-piracy mission in the region.