Press Releases

During the afternoon of 5 Aug 2010, the MV SYRIA STAR reported that she was under attack from pirates who had climbed onboard and fired shots at the crew.  Helicopters were immediately dispatched to the vessel and tried to establish communications with the SYRIA STAR, which had stopped in the water.

Yesterday 3 August, EU NAVFOR ship SPS VICTORIA stopped a pirate attack on the MV BOW SAGA. The seven individuals apprehended have been returned to Somalia.

Early this morning Tuesday 3 August, the MV BOW SAGA sent a distress call that she was under attack from pirates in the middle of the Gulf of Aden. An EU NAVFOR unit close by sent her helicopter to assist and stopped the attack.

In the early hours of 2 August, the MV SUEZ reported being under small arms fire from a pirate attack and minutes later she reported pirates on board. After notification of the attack, attempts were made to make contact with the MV SUEZ but to no avail.

Early this morning, 29 July, the Maltese flagged merchant vessel MV FRIGIA was released.

On 26 July, the Russian destroyer ADMIRAL LEVCHENKO began escorting a World Food Programme (WFP) shipment, in support of EU NAVFOR. Force Commander Jan Thörnqvist said:  “This is a clear demonstration of the excellent co-operation between our European Task Force 465 and the Russian Navy”.

The French air defence destroyer JEAN BART has joined the EU NAVFOR Task Force for the period 20th to 31st July.  She is the second of the air defence destroyer class Cassard, with a displacement of 4500 tonnes, a length of 139 meters and a beam of 14 meters.

 A delegation from EU NAVFOR Force Headquarters made a successful visit to the Chief of the Yemeni Coast Guard and Deputy Commander of the Yemeni Navy.

In the early hours of 4 July, the MT Motivator reported it was under small arms fire from a pirate attack in the northern Bab Al Mandeb area in the southern Red Sea. After notification of this attack, attempts were made to make contact with the Motivator but to no avail.

 In the early hours of 28 June, pirates took control of the MV Golden Blessing approximately 90 nautical miles off the northern Somali coast.

On 14 June 2010, Rear Admiral Hudson Peter Hudson CBE handed over the responsibility of Operation Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia, Op ATALANTA to Major General Buster Howes OBE.

On 11 June 2010, a ransom drop was made to the pirate group holding the merchant vessel MV ASIAN GLORY at anchor in the vicinity of Garacad on the eastern coast of Somalia.