Ongoing operations
The frigate F-82 'Victoria' is in the area where the merchant ship 'MV Ruen' is located.
In the Indian Ocean
December 18, 2023
- The navy ship is, together with the Indian Navy ship 'INS Kochi', monitoring the situation.
The frigate 'Victoria', deployed in the EU Operation 'Atalanta', is in the area where contact with the Bulgarian merchant ship 'MV Ruen', flying the Maltese flag, was lost on 14 December.
According to the information available, the merchant vessel has been under piracy since the morning of 14 December. The ship, which is more than 150 metres long, was sailing in the northern Indian Ocean in search of the port of Gemlik (Turkey) when it issued a security alert stating that it was under pirate attack.
The frigate 'Victoria', command ship of EUNAVFOR's TF-465, was ordered to sail to the area to clarify the facts and has been monitoring the situation since the afternoon of the 16th.
The 'MV Ruen', which departed from the port of Gwangyang in South Korea with a cargo of metal, as confirmed by its captain, was assaulted during the morning of the 14th. After establishing the citadel and getting the crew to safety, a security alert was issued and received through the alert means at the disposal of EUNAVFOR.
During the early hours of the morning of the 15th, an Indian maritime patrol aircraft flew over the vessel and managed to establish VHF communications with the crew. All 18 crew members were safe and well, locked in the citadel. Hours later, the pirates managed to breach the citadel and extract the crew.
In the early morning of the 16th, the Indian Navy ship 'INS KOCHI' and the Japanese Navy ship 'JPN AKEBONO' arrived in the vicinity of the hijacked vessel, monitoring it. Subsequently, the frigate 'Victoria' relieved the 'JPN AKEBONO' and since then it has been on the scene of action providing all its capabilities and exchanging information in a fluid and coordinated manner with the 'KOCHI' with which it will remain until further instructions are received.
In the last few hours, in the early hours of the 18th, a member of the crew of the 'MV RUEN' has been evacuated to the 'INS Kochi' due to a medical incident. The medical team on board the frigate 'Victoria' has placed itself at the disposal of the Indian vessel in case its assistance is required.
Coordination between the two ships is permanent and they are monitoring the merchant ship 24 hours a day with the sensors of both frigates, helicopters and UAVs on board (AB-212 and Scan Eagle in the case of the Navy ship).
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