VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, May 4 (UPI) -- The Russian Pacific Fleet said Monday the Admiral Panteleyev warship has begun duty escorting a merchant convoy through the Gulf of Aden.
The fleet said the Russian destroyer would accompany the convoy of merchant vessels when it passes through potentially dangerous waters off the Somali coast sometime Tuesday, RIA Novosti reported.
The Gulf of Aden has been a hotbed of piracy in recent months, prompting Russia and other nations to deploy warships for international anti-piracy activities in the region.
The fleet said the Admiral Panteleyev, an Udaloy-class missile destroyer, arrived in the gulf April 27 from Vladivostok.
The Russian vessel, which carries Helix helicopters and anti-ship missiles, relieved the warship Admiral Vinogradov, which had been patrolling the region since January.
RIA Novosti said the Vinogradov successfully repelled pirate attacks on multiple vessels during its Somalia coast operations, while escorting 12 convoys through the region.
