Pirates seize oil tanker with Russian crew
05 May 2010 | 
Author: Coyote |
RT.com - May 5, 2010
Pirates have seized an oil tanker with 23 Russians aboard, according to EU's anti-piracy mission "Atalanta". The vessel, sailing under a Liberian flag, was attacked some 800 kilometers east of the Somali coast.The seizure of the “Moscow University” vessel took place 350 nautical miles from the Yemeni island of Sokotra.
While the pirates took control of the ship, its crew barricaded itself in one of the lower compartments of the ship.
The tanker was carrying almost 90,000 tonnes of oil to China.
All attempts to establish contact with the tanker have so far been unsuccessful.
The Russian warship “Marshal Shaposhnikov” is now heading towards the captured vessel to try and assist the crew members.
RIA Novosti news agency quoted a high-placed source in the coalition forces’ headquarters as saying that the Russian Navy ship will only make contact with the seized tanker at about 1am Moscow time on Thursday.
However, piracy expert Mikhail Voitenko does not think it will try to free the ship by force, as the move would put the crew in danger.
“[The crew] is alive and well at the moment. However, they won’t be able to protect themselves from the pirates. The ship has been taken and they are a human shield of sorts,” Voitenko told Interfax.
He foresees that the events will take their usual turn, with the pirates taking the vessel to one of the Somalian ports.
